India Withdraws from Pakistan-Hosted Blind T20 World Cup 2024

The Indian Blind Cricket Team has officially pulled out of the 2024 Blind T20 World Cup, set to take place in Pakistan.

Following a decision by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to deny travel permission, Indian media outlets have reported.

Shailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), confirmed the withdrawal on Tuesday.

Stating that the team will not be participating in the event, which is scheduled from November 23 to December 3, 2024.

Yadav explained that while the team had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Sports Ministry.

They were still waiting on final approval from the government. Unfortunately, the MEA denied the request for permission to travel to Pakistan.

“We had been waiting for over 25 days for the government’s approval to go to Pakistan. With the tournament nearing, we can no longer afford to wait,” Yadav told reporters.

The Ministry of External Affairs informed me that they would not grant the team permission to travel to Pakistan.

They suggested we cancel our participation in the tournament.

Although we have not yet received the official letter, we have decided, based on this conversation, not to go to Pakistan,” he added.

Yadav expressed his disappointment over the decision but emphasized the association’s commitment to adhering to the MEA’s directives.

In addition to India’s withdrawal, reports indicate that England, Australia, and New Zealand have also opted out of the tournament, making India the fourth team to decline participation.

Despite these withdrawals, the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 will continue as scheduled.

“All other teams are coming to Pakistan for the World Cup.

The absence of one team will not impact our preparations,” said Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC).

This development follows earlier reports suggesting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) of its decision not to send the national men’s team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing similar concerns from the federal government.