Pakistan cricket authorities breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday as the Irish consulate granted a visa to Mohammad Amir, likely enabling him to join the team ahead of the second T20I in Dublin on May 12. The series kicks off with the first of three T20Is scheduled for Friday at the Clontaff ground.
According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source, the board has been informed of Amir’s visa approval and is arranging his travel from Lahore, where he currently resides, to Dublin, where the rest of the squad arrived on Tuesday (May 7).
After prolonged discussions between PCB and Cricket Ireland regarding the visa delay, a breakthrough was finally achieved. Although the Irish consulate did not provide a specific reason for the delay, a technical issue was reportedly the cause, now resolved.
The delay in visa issuance was a matter of concern for PCB, impacting team management plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup and affecting Amir, who recently came out of retirement to play international cricket after a four-year hiatus.
Following the series against Ireland, Pakistan is scheduled to play four T20Is in England, beginning May 22 in Leeds.
Interestingly, Amir had faced no visa issues when he played in Ireland’s inaugural Test match against Pakistan in 2018.