JOIN USAfter getting a green signal to compete in the Champions League Twenty20, Faisalabad Wolves cricketers arrived here on Sunday from Pakistan but were forced out of the city after it emerged that their visas were valid only for Mohali.
According to the Punjab Cricket Association, the BCCI has taken up the issue with the Union government to facilitate early solution to the problem.
The team arrived here without captain Misbah-ul-Haq after finally getting the visa to travel India. The team was earlier denied visas on the ground that the players faced a security risk in India.
The team addressed the media at their hotel before leaving for Mohali, where they had a practice session in the evening.
After checking in at a city hotel, the Wolves were asked to shift to a clubhouse of PCA stadium in Mohali.
“After their arrival in Chandigarh, when the concerned authorities checked their passport and visas, it emerged that they did not have a visa for Chandigarh, though they have it for other venues of the tournament (CLT20).
“We requested the authorities to give them a few hours before they could shift to Mohali, which they later did. In the meanwhile, we got in touch with the BCCI, who in turn brought the matter to the notice of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Affairs Ministry.
Now, the process to issue Chandigarh valid visas for the players and the officials is on and we are hopeful that by tomorrow (Monday) morning, clearance should come,” PCA Joint Secretary GS Walia told PTI.
Faisalabad team skipper Misbah is expected to reach here on Monday.
“Why they did not have visa for Chandigarh is not for us to comment but the issue is being sorted out. There are some issues and they are being sorted out,” Faisalabad coach Naveed Anjum said.