Exclusive | Never faced visa issues in India earlier: PCB chief Ashraf

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Muhammad Zaka Ashraf has admitted that he had not “anticipated” a delay in the issuance of visas for the Pakistan media, fans, and his fellow cricket administrators to watch the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 matches in India. To underline his point, he revealed that neither his family members nor PCB officials and their families have received the visas, calling it a “really very serious situation”.

On Wednesday (October 11), the Indian High Commission in Islamabad finally asked the Pakistan media personnel to submit their passports for issuance of visas, according to the PCB. But after the PCB issued the statement to that effect, Ashraf said that the PCB officials and their families are still awaiting their visas. “Not issued yet,” Ashraf, 71, said in a text message on Wednesday, referring to the non-issuance of visas to the PCB officials and their families who are keen to visit India.

Ashraf will travel to India on October 12, though, to watch the much-anticipated India-Pakistan encounter in Ahmedabad on October 14, according to the PCB statement. “Yes, I’ve got a visa. But my family visas have still not been issued,” Ashraf told The Federal on Wednesday.

Pakistan have played two matches so far, and won both. But no Pakistani journalist or fan was present when they defeated the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Around 60 Pakistani journalists want to travel to India, besides numerous fans.

“I think it is a really very serious situation because we are facing a lot of pressure from our cricket fans and the media people for the visas. A lot of people are approaching us and we're getting no positive response from the Indian High Commission or the BCCI (until October 11). We are in the midst of the World Cup and Pakistan’s matches have started, but I don’t know how to move forward,” Ashraf told The Federal earlier in an exclusive interview.

“We’ve been to India before also, during the previous government’s tenure when Mr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister (2004-2014). We had no problem. We got 3,000-4,000 visas for Pakistani fans to visit India and witness a match in New Delhi. They came, witnessed the match, and went back home,” he said, referring to the last time Pakistan toured India for a bilateral series, in 2012-13.

Earlier, during the 2004-05 tour of India, India had issued 10,000 visas for Pakistani fans for a Test match in Mohali, a venue close to the India-Pakistan Wagah Border in Punjab. Match hosts Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) hosted dinner for the fans at the Mohali stadium, having earlier that evening welcomed them with hot milk and jalebis (Indian sweets) as they landed on a cold March evening in buses from the Wagah Border. Interestingly, most of the Pakistani fans, including the veteran ‘Pakistan Chacha’ Chaudhry Abdul Jalil, had stayed in private homes, with ‘complete strangers’ in Mohali and nearby Chandigarh, the state capital.

Fans to the fore

“One thing is very clear: India and Pakistan are two great cricketing nations, and both excel in the game of cricket. There's no better match-up and stronger game than an India-Pakistan game because both countries have a great history of cricket. So, depriving fans of coming to the stadium to watch matches is sad and makes me wonder why this is happening,” said Ashraf. “Pakistan cricket fans’ applications are lying with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.”

Ashraf pointed out that the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should help Pakistanis secure visas for the World Cup.

“It was decided with the ICC that the host cricket board would facilitate getting the visas and that this issue wouldn’t crop up. So, we had not anticipated that it was going to come up. Looking at the history of India and Pakistan, our teams and our officials had visited India during the previous Indian governments. We never had any issue, as the visas would come within four to five days. And I am really appreciative of Indian governments for that,” he said.

“I don't know why but this time it has been around a month or so and no visa has been given so far. They have not issued the visas even to my family members. They had applied for the Ahmedabad match and they want to see the other matches, though I would go only for the India-Pakistan match. So, I request the Indian government and the BCCI to expedite it and let the issue be resolved quickly and very soon,” Ashraf stressed.

A few Pakistanis – TV commentators Rameez Raja, Waqar Younis, and Zainab Abbas – and a lone Pakistan-born American passport holder fan – are, however, in India for the World Cup. Zainab, who was representing England-based SkySports, left India a few days ago, though, after her old, allegedly “anti-India” tweets emerged. Some reports claimed she was deported, some said she left due to “personal reasons”.

“I also saw on social media that she has left India. I would think these things should not matter and that we should have big hearts, anywhere – Indian or Pakistani side. A lot of things need to be forgiven and not given a thought to. Such small issues should not be taken seriously, I think, though I don't know the facts. If I know the facts, maybe I would be able to probably command better,” said Ashraf.

Ashraf’s olive branch

In his previous stint as the chairman of PCB, Ashraf had struck a special bond with then BCCI president N. Srinivasan, when he visited India during Pakistan’s short series in 2012-13. In Chennai, Srinivasan fell ill and was admitted to a hospital, where Ashraf spent an hour with him discussing various issues.

“He was a wonderful person; I think he was one of the best ever presidents the BCCI has ever had. My best wishes are still with him. He was ready to talk and ready to negotiate. Whatever we decided, we implemented that on both sides (of the border); there were no issues,” recalled Ashraf, who even called Srinivasan his “bade bhai” (elder brother).

“Since he is not the president now, I’d like to develop a good relationship with the present leadership of the BCCI. I met Jay Shah in South Africa, and we had a very good meeting (during the ICC annual conference in Durban in July). Later on, he backed off, but still, I think better sense will prevail and we will continue to work for better cricket relations between Pakistan and India,” he said, extending an olive branch, as it were, to the BCCI.

Recently, the BCCI declined to send the team Pakistan for the Asia Cup, as the Narendra Modi’s government declined visas, and that led to the tournament being partly relocated to Sri Lanka. India played all their matches in Sri Lanka.

This issue could well crop up in 2025 when Pakistan would host the ICC Champions Trophy. Ashraf said that India should visit Pakistan for what is considered the second most important tournament after the World Cup.

“All Champions Trophy matches should be held in Pakistan, and we would request the Indian cricket board to also participate in it. Whatever security they would require, we would fulfil those. India should join the rest of the cricket community and not remain out of date and say that they don’t want to play in Pakistan,” he said. “By doing so, our cricketing ties would grow. I want India and Pakistan and the world cricketing nations to unite and promote cricket, and not get disintegrated into groupings and all that.”

Ashraf, however, agreed that the BCCI could do only so much. “That is there. But since I want better understanding and better relations between the BCCI and the PCB, I don't think we should stay apart from each other. We are there to promote cricket and develop better relations between the two,” he stressed.