CLT20 2014: Indian government grants visas for Lahore Lions

Indian government has granted Pakistan’s Faysal Bank T20 Cup winners Lahore Lions their visas, thereby enabling their participation in the Champions League T20 tournament that kicks off from September 13.

The team led by Mohammad Hafeez will be arriving in India on Tuesday ahead of their opening match against the defending CLT20 champions Mumbai Indians. Northern Knights from New Zealand will take on Sri Lanka’s Southern Express in the opening fixture of the qualifiers.

Apart from former national T20 captain Hafeez, the team also includes the likes of Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz.

There were doubts hanging over the participation of Pakistan’s domestic champions due to the strained relationship between the Indian and Pakistan governments, but the route is now clear for the team.

Sialkot Stallions and Faisalabad Wolves were the other Pakistan teams to have played in the tournament before. Both of them were knocked out in the qualifying stages, though, in the 2012 and 2013 editions respectively.