India should issue multiple visas for Pak spectators for 2011 World Cup: PCB

Lahore, May 2 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants multiple visas for country's cricket fans who would be coming to India during the 2011 World Cup.

PCB's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Wasim Bari said if the Indian agencies would not allow multiple visas for Pakistani fans, it would be against International Cricket Council (ICC) norms.

"Ever since T20 cricket has posed a serious challenge to Test and one-day cricket, the ICC as a matter of policy wants more supporters for the sport specially Test and ODI cricket," The Daily Times quoted Bari, as saying.

"And, if our spectators are not facilitated to travel to India for the World Cup matches it would in one way negate the ICC policy," he added.

Bari, however, expressed the hope that matters would be resolved by the time World Cup approaches and believed that tension between India and Pakistan would also ease out till next year.

"We will soon take up this matter at our level but we are hopeful that by the time the World Cup comes around the situation between Pakistan and India would also have eased out," he said.

Bari also called on for resumption of bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan, and added that the sport could play a big role in reducing tension between the two neighbours.

"The fans want to see Pakistan and India play against each other and I personally think the only way to move forward is to improve relations between the neighbouring countries and cricket can play a big role in this," he said. (ANI)