Pakistani supporters were conspicuously absent at the India Cricket World Cup match. Thousands of cricket enthusiasts have descended upon Ahmedabad, where hotel rates have risen to up to 20 times the usual level. Wealthy individuals have been renting out their spare houses for as much as $2,500 per night, and hospitals are reporting exceptionally high demand for admissions on Saturday, the day that India plays Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
However, there will be a conspicuous absence at the most important cricket event: Pakistanis, both media and fans, have been virtually barred from going.
The sound of one hand clapping so loudly will reverberate across Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday. There will be nearly zero supporters for the away team and over 100,000 for the home squad.
Only one journalist from Pakistan is present among the many Indian journalists covering the event. The Indian cricket body has disregarded its duty to grant reporters and supporters of all teams access, as stipulated by the International Cricket Council.
Glasgow-based Pakistani cricket enthusiast Farrukh Shahzad told Al Jazeera, “I can’t fathom the situation.” This is a global occurrence. It is an ICC occasion.
Pakistanis residing abroad have discovered that possessing passports from their new nations is not very significant. Their chances of obtaining a visa in time are as small as those of Pakistanis who are permanent residents if they were born in Pakistan, or if their parents or grandparents were.
The Indian consulate informed Shahzad, a dual citizen, that he would need to apply using his Pakistani passport instead of his British one. He saw allegations that they were selling tickets for over $60,000 on the black market and was unable to get an internet ticket for the India-Pakistan match.
