NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricket authorities breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday as the Irish consulate granted a visa to
Mohammad Amir
, paving the way for his potential inclusion in the team ahead of the second T20I in Dublin on May 12.
The opening match of the three T20Is is scheduled for Friday at the Clontaff ground.
A source within the PCB confirmed that they have been informed about Amir's visa approval and are currently arranging his travel from Lahore to join the squad.
While the rest of the team departed for Dublin on Tuesday (May 7), Amir remained in Lahore awaiting his visa clearance.
After a period of impasse, the breakthrough came following discussions between the
Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) and Cricket Ireland regarding the delay in visa issuance for Amir.
Although the Irish consulate did not provide a specific reason for the delay, the source indicated that it was due to technical issues, which have since been resolved.
“Obviously, the PCB was unhappy with the
visa delay
as it affects the team management plans for the (T20) World Cup and also has a bearing on the affected player who has returned from retirement to international cricket after four years,” the source said.
After the series against Ireland, Pakistan will move to England for four T20Is starting from May 22 at Leeds.
Interestingly, Amir was readily issued a visa to play in Ireland's inaugural Test match against Pakistan back in 2018.
(With PTI inputs)
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