Babar Azam fined for violating traffic rules in Lahore

LAHORE: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was fined by the traffic police on Monday for not having a driver’s licence and a lane violation.

According to the traffic police, the national cricket team skipper was fined Rs2,000 on September 17 in Lahore’s Gulberg.

Police officials said that Babar was first stopped for lane violation but after he was questioned, they learnt that he was driving without a licence.

The national team skipper is preparing to lead the Pakistan team in next month’s cricket World Cup in India.

The team was facing an uncertain situation due to a delay in the issuance of their visa by the Indian government. However, the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan's participation in the World Cup ended as India finally issued visas to the Pakistan team earlier today, the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) said.

The ICC's confirmation came after the complaints of a delay in the process of visa issuance.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the governing body complaining about a visa delay which, it said, had disrupted the team's preparation for the showpiece event across the border.

"Visas have been issued to the Pakistan team," an ICC spokesperson told Reuters without elaborating further.

PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq confirmed to Reuters they have been asked to collect their passports from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

India and Pakistan have suspended bilateral cricket, thanks to soured political relations between the neighbours, and play each other only in multi-team events like the World Cup and Asia Cup.