New visa regime stumps West Indian cricketers

After the player auction fiasco, tighter visa rules seem to be casting a shadow over the third season of the Twenty20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) that begins on March 12 reports Jayanth Jacob.

After the player auction fiasco, tighter visa rules seem to be casting a shadow over the third season of the Twenty20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) that begins on March 12.

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The Indian consulate in Melbourne has turned down the visa applications of West Indian players Dwayne Smith and Kemar Andre Jamal Roach, who play for the Deccan Chargers.

The duo has been told to apply for the visa from their country Barbados.

Their national team was touring Australia and would remain there till February 23, the players had said.

To avoid another controversy, the cricketing authorities have approached the officials in Delhi to sort out the

matter. The Deccan Chargers take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural match.

“There shouldn’t be any problem... the matter will be settled,” said an official on condition of anonymity.