Islamabad: The Indian High Commission on Friday issued visas to the nine Pakistani players bound for the inaugural Hockey India League starting next week, officials said. "We have issued visas to the nine Pakistani players bound for Hockey India League today," said an official of the High Commission.
The High Commission had Thursday said that it had received the visa applications of the nine Pakistani players and would issue them visas "as quickly as possible". The nine players are expected to leave for India on Saturday, Pakistani official sources said.
The nine players are Mohammed Rizwan Jr., Mohammed Rizwaan Sr. (Delhi Wave Riders ), Sayeed Kashif Shah (Punjab Warriors ), Shafqat Rasool, Mohammed Irfan (Ranchi Rhinos), Mahmood Tousiq, Mahmood Rashid, Fareed Ahmed and Imran Butt (Mumbai Magicians). The Pakistani players were bought by four of the five franchises during the HIL players' auction in New Delhi on December 16 last year.
The much-anticipated five-team HIL is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on January 14 and will conclude in Ranchi on February 10. Earlier, a question mark had cropped up over the participation of the Pakistan players in the league when none of the nine players contracted with four HIL franchisees arrived in the country with just a few days remaining for the start of the tournament.
According to media reports, the visas of the players could have been put on hold because of the alleged killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani armed forces at the LOC on Tuesday.
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