India’s Ministry of Sports has issued an NOC for the Indian Blind Cricket Team to participate in the fourth edition of the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, set to take place in Pakistan later this month.
In a letter from Shailendra Yadav, Secretary General of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India, India’s Sports Ministry granted permission for the Pakistan tour and advised the association to seek further clearance from the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs.
The Indian team is scheduled to arrive in Lahore on November 12 to participate in the World Cup, with a Pakistan-India match planned for November 25 in Lahore.
Chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, Syed Sultan Shah, welcomed the NOC for the Indian team, noting that India-Pakistan matches always attract great attention from fans. He highlighted the excitement among Pakistanis for the World Cup, especially the match against India.
Syed Sultan Shah also emphasized that past cricket diplomacy has significantly improved relations between the two nations. He mentioned the UN Charter’s emphasis on providing special opportunities, particularly in sports, for people with disabilities.
Shah hoped that India’s Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs will soon issue their NOC for the Indian Blind Cricket Team’s visit to Pakistan.
The analysts see this development as a breakthrough in the cricket ties between the two nations and are hopeful that the Indian government will also allow its national cricket team to visit Pakistan for the champion trophy to be held next year in Karachi and other cities of the South Asian country.
