India to welcome foreign cricket players

As has been frequently documented on news wires the world over, the issue of foreign sportsmen often raises immigration and visa debates, particularly when applications are denied.

With this in mind it seems that such high profile reports are likely to continue, yet this time it’s cricket which will be subjected to immigration debate. Announced today, foreign cricket players have been given the go ahead to play in the domestic matches in India.

According to the announcement, foreigner players will be treated as guest players and will most likely travel to India on tourist visas. This is far from a radical move in the sporting world and as a majority of opinions agree, it is a highly called for ruling. After all, foreign footballers are already heavily engulfed in football leagues all over the world.

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Niranjan Shah has however instilled a list of rules which must be adhered to prior to a foreign player’s inclusion. Firstly the foreigner player must have played at least 10 tests and/or 20 ODIs’ in addition a maximum of three ‘Guest’ players will only allowed to participate in any one game.

Surely this news has been a long time coming, particularly with India’s increasing stature within the world of global mobility.