AFZAL JAVED
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has issued visas to all Indian journalists coming to Pakistan for the coverage of the ICC Champions Trophy, sources said.
In 2023, the Indian government denied visas to a large number of Pakistani journalists for the coverage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup held in India, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board to raise the issue with the International Cricket Council and recorded their protest against the actions of BCCI and the Indian government.
The tournament starts from tomorrow (Wednesday) in Karachi with the first match between Pakistan and New Zealand. One of the most anticipated clashes between Pakistan and India would occur on February 23 in Dubai.
The mega event would last for 19 days, with exciting cricket matches hosted in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Dubai. The final of the tournament is scheduled for March 9, with the winning team set to receive $2.24 million while the runner-up would earn $1.12 million.
The total prize money has seen an impressive 53% increase from the 2017 edition, totalling $6.9 million.
Visas have been granted to all those journalists “who had applied to the Pakistani High Commission for visas to travel to Pakistan.” One of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said, adding that PCB played a positive role in ensuring the issuance of visas to the Indian journalists.
The Champions Trophy will be the first major tournament to be held in Pakistan since 1996 and will feature the home side and teams from New Zealand, England, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and India.
For the Champions Trophy, police in Lahore, Karachi and the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have deployed over 20,000 troops, including snipers on rooftops along key routes. Hotels where players will stay, stadiums and airports will be heavily guarded as will the roads connecting these locations.
