Five cricket boards from the United States, Canada, Italy, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have lodged complaints with the International Cricket Council (ICC) after their players of Pakistani origin were denied Indian visas ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup. According to Geo Sports, these boards have also sent copies of their letters to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but neither the BCCI nor the ICC has responded so far. The tournament is scheduled to begin in about a month, yet India has not provided any indication of relaxing its visa policy.

The issue has created a new challenge for the ICC, which is already facing complications as Bangladesh has refused to travel to India for the tournament, citing security concerns and expressing a preference to play in Sri Lanka instead. The visa dispute marks the first time that countries beyond Pakistan have encountered such difficulties due to players’ Pakistani heritage.

The five affected boards are reportedly preparing to send another joint letter to both the ICC and BCCI if the matter remains unresolved.