PSL 6: PCB sorts out visa problems after departure gets delayed by 24 hours

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the issue of visa delay has been sorted and the departure of squads for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will resume tomorrow.

The first chartered flight was scheduled to take off at 8:55 am on Wednesday from Karachi, while another from Lahore to transport 233 passengers to Abu Dhabi for the remaining PSL 6 matches.

However, a late-night message by the UAE authorities regarding the delay in the visa issuance forced authorities to cancel the flights.

Later, the PCB said that the quarantine period has been extended by 24 hours and instructed the players and the staff to stay at their respective hotels for another day.

The board’s media department confirmed on Wednesday that a large number of visas have been issued to foreign and local players, support, and technical staff.

According to PCB, 25 Indians, part of the production team, India have received their visas to Abu Dhabi today.

Meanwhile, 26 out of 27 South Africans, including support staff and players like Faf Du Plessis, Herschelle Gibbs, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw, Cameron Delport, and Michael Smith, have also been issued visas.

Most of the Pakistani players who will travel to Abu Dhabi via chartered flights from Karachi and Lahore have also received their visas.

The board said that the players will fly to Abu Dhabi via chartered flights on May 27, which will be counted as the first day of quarantine when players check-in at their respective hotels before 2 pm on Thursday.

Note that the board has booked three hotels in Abu Dhabi, one of every two teams, for isolation and stay during the tournament.