BCCI official fires PCB chief Ehsan Mani for questioning India over visa assurances

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani recently made a demand for visa assurance for Pakistan players, fans and media personnel in time for this year’s T20 World Cup in India. The tournament is scheduled to be held between October and November later this year. Apparently, Mani’s demand has surprised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with one of the senior board officials describing his comments as “immature”.

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BCCI official slams PCB chief Ehsan Mani over T20 World Cup 2021 visa guarantees

While speaking with ANI, a BCCI official said that Ehsan Mani’s comments were “immature” because the Indian government have already given their clear stance on issuing visas to visiting players for sporting events in the country. The official added, “It was surprising to read Mani’s comments, especially in the background of his working relationship with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly at the ICC”.

The official even claimed that Ehsan Mani is a “gentleman” who has been a “guide” for Sourav Ganguly during the pandemic. According to the official, the PCB chief gave a very “immature” statement considering his status in the cricketing world. The BCCI official was of the opinion that Ehsan Mani is either “desperately looking for a way out of his team playing in the T20 World Cup 2021” or he is simply trying to attract “some constituency back home”.

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The BCCI member further slammed the PCB chief, saying that the Indian government have already made their stance “crystal clear” and all concerned parties should be aware of it. The official asserted that Mani should focus on improving the cricketing relations between the two arch-rival countries instead of widening the “gulf between them”.

T20 World Cup 2021 updates

The T20 World Cup 2021 will be the seventh edition of the tournament and the second to be hosted by India. Originally, the World Cup was scheduled to be played in Australia last November. However, the ongoing coronavirus crisis prompted Cricket Australia and the ICC to postpone the event.

As per reports, the ICC will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021) season. The tournament is slated to commence sometime in April. A senior BCCI official earlier claimed that the success of IPL 2021 amidst the pandemic will strengthen their chances of successfully hosting the pinnacle T20 event later this year.

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Image source: PTI and AP