India to issue 3,000 visas to Pakistan cricket fans

November 30, 2012

India_Pak_visa

New Delhi, November 30: The Indian government is to issue a record 3,000 visas to Pakistani cricket fans attending a series of limited over matches beginning next month, an official in the interior ministry told AFP Thursday.

"We will happily host 3,000 Pakistani cricket lovers for the matches. This is the first time that we have decided to issue so many visas in one go," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

India is to host Pakistan for two T20 internationals and three 50 over matches from December 25, beginning in Bangalore. Matches will also be held in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi which will host the last game on January 6.

"One thousand Pakistanis will be able to watch the Delhi match and 500 will be allowed to attend each of the other games," said the official.


"The BCCI (Indian cricket board) will be given all the necessary instructions to speed up the visa process."

Another interior ministry official said the Pakistani visitors would have to report to a designated police station immediately after their entry into India.

"Pakistani fans cannot crossover on foot in (the northern state of) Punjab. They can either choose to fly down or board the border train," the official said.

As well as the Thar Express railway link between the two countries, Pakistan International Airlines flies from Lahore and Karachi to New Delhi and Mumbai.

The rivals have not played a series since Pakistan's tour of India in 2007, after cricket ties were broken following the 2008 attacks in Mumbai by militants from Pakistan.

The countries have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and diplomatic ties remain extremely fragile in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

Their cricket teams have met in international tournaments since 2007, including a semi-final in last year's ODI World Cup in the northern Indian city of Mohali -- a match which was attended by both countries' prime ministers.

India won the game comfortably then went on to win the trophy.

Next month's series has not met with universal approval and several radical Hindu groups have demanded its cancellation and threatened to hold protests.


The influential Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or World Hindu Council has said India should refuse to host the tour until Pakistan brings to justice the masterminds behind the Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead.

"Why should we have sporting links with a country which is directing terrorism against us," VHP spokesman Prakash Sharma told AFP earlier this month. "Pakistan is not even willing to accept evidence provided by India of its role."

Pakistan in 2009 charged seven men over planning the Mumbai attacks, but insists it needs to gather more evidence in India before proceeding further.

Shiv Sena, a right-wing nationalist party based in Mumbai, has branded the tour a "national shame" and said Indian cricket authorities were "betraying the country for sake of money".

Cricket lovers however have welcomed the matches, including Pakistan's Wasim Akram, one of the sport's greatest ever bowlers and now popular in India as a commentator.


"I can't wait for this tour to happen," Wasim told AFP earlier this month.

"I am confident that the Indian government will make this tour a happy and safe one for our team because the whole world is waiting for this."



Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 5,2020

Colombo, Jul 5: Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis was on Sunday arrested for knocking down a pedestrian while driving, police said.

Mendis hit a 74-year-old man, killing him in the wee hours, in the Colombo suburb of Panadura.

He is to be produced before a magistrate later today, police said.

The 25-year-old wicket-keeper batsman has represented Sri Lanka in 44 Tests and 76 ODIs. Mendis was part of the national squad which had resumed training after the Covid-19 lockdown.

Sri Lanka's international assignments, including a tour by India, have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 10,2020

Srinagar, Jan 10: Real Kashmir FC made a strong comeback in the second half to play out a 1-1 draw against former champions Punjab FC in their home I-League match here on Friday.

The 'Snow Leopards' equalised in the 62nd minute through Gnohere Krizo in front of a partisan crowd of 8,500 spectators after Makan Chothe had given Punjab FC the lead in the 21st minute at the TRC ground.

After Thursday's draw, Punjab FC is placed third on the table with 10 points from seven games. Real Kashmir FC remained at eighth with six points from five matches. This was Real Kashmir's third home match on the trot.

The match was a story of two halves as the first belonged to the visitors who enjoyed a 62 per cent possession of the ball, whereas the second belonged to the home side.

Both the teams were looking to gain an early advantage and Punjab FC took the lead after 21 minutes.

Confusion inside the Real Kashmir box because of a long ball from Punjab opened up an opportunity for Chothe and he made no mistake as he smashed the ball at the back of the net.

As the fans cheered on, Real Kashmir created a flurry of chances, but none of the home side players could find the back of the net. Punjab was able to hold on to their slender lead heading into the tunnel.

The second half resumed with Real Kashmir pressing high up the field and pressurising Punjab.

In the 56th minute, Real Kashmir playmaker Kallum Higginbotham cut through two defenders on the left side of the box and the ball fell to Mason Robertson, whose shot was too weak to trouble the Punjab goalkeeper.

Soon after, it was Danish Farooq who tried a curler from a distance but his shot did not have enough bend to trouble the Punjab goalkeeper. The home team's effort finally paid off in the 62nd minute.

A miscalculated header by Danilo Augusto fell at the feet of Gnohere Krizo, who was one-on-one with the keeper. He made no mistake in striking the ball into the opponent's goal to score the equaliser.

Real Kashmir was in their groove now, and Kallum came in from the right with a beautiful low cross across the face of the goal but Mason could not get a touch as the chance went begging.

The duo of Kallum and Mason were proving difficult for Punjab to deal with. In the 82nd minute, a beautiful long ball by Kallum found the head of a towering Mason, but the effort went just over the crossbar.

Within a few moments, Punjab again had another nervous moment as Chesterpoul Lyngdoh's cross from the right side hit the arm of Thoiba Singh but the referee turned down an appeal for penalty.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.