PCB chief seeks visa assurance from India

During an interaction with reporters at the PCB headquarters in Lahore, Mani said his board had expressed their views to the ICC. “There is a need to change the ‘Big Three’ mindset,” Mani said. 

“We are not seeking written assurance for the visas of the national team only, but for the fans, officials and journalists as well,” he added. 

The veteran cricket administrator added, “We have told the ICC that India should give written assurances by the end of March so that we know where we stand or we will push for the relocation of the World Cup from India to UAE,” he said. 

India is scheduled to host the T20 showpiece in October-November. Mani also said that they wanted written assurances from the BCCI about the security arrangements for the entire Pakistan contingent. 

He said on Friday the assurances were necessary given the ‘existing relationship’ between the two countries. 

In the absence of bilateral cricket between the two countries, Mani said his board had made its intentions clear to the game’s stakeholders -- within and outside the country -- that ‘PCB plans to run our cricket without India.’