Pakistan cricket team Babar Azam has been slapped with a penalty ahead of the team's departure for India for the 2-23 ODI World Cup. Babar, who will be leading the Pakistan side for the first time in the 50-over tournament and third time in an ICC event after two T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, received a penalty for violating not one but two traffic rules in Lahore.
Babar was charged with breaking traffic rules on September 17 in Lahore's Gulberg and has been penalised ₹2000, imposed for two violations: driving without a license and lane violation, according to a report in Geo Super. He was first charged for lane violation, but later it was discovered that he did not have his driver's license with him.
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The development came just 36 hours before the Pakistan cricket team left for India for the ODI World Cup, which begins from October 5 onwards in Ahmedabad with 2019 finalists England and New Zealand.
Earlier last week, Pakistan team incurred a situation where they did not receive their visa for India travel, causing them a disruption in their World Cup plan. The team were reportedly set to assemble in Dubai for a short team-bonding session for a few days before they left for Hyderabad, where they play a World Cup warm-up game. The visa delay however led to the side missing out on the Dubai stay with the uncertainty finally ending on Monday night when the team members finally received their visas.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier last week, Pakistan team incurred a situation where they did not receive their visa for India travel, causing them a disruption in their World Cup plan. The team were reportedly set to assemble in Dubai for a short team-bonding session for a few days before they left for Hyderabad, where they play a World Cup warm-up game. The visa delay however led to the side missing out on the Dubai stay with the uncertainty finally ending on Monday night when the team members finally received their visas.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan will begin their ODI World Cup campaign from October 6 onwards when they take on Netherlands, followed by Sri Lanka on October 10 before taking on arch-rivals India in Ahmedabad in a blockbuster tie on October 14. Prior to the start of the tournament, they will also play two warm-up games in Hyderabad - on September 29 and October 3.