Dean Mervyn Jones. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: Hours after he was ‘sent back’ from the Islamabad airport for ‘invalid visa and incomplete travel documents’, former Australian batsman Dean Jones flew into Lahore Sunday night to take over as head coach of a team in Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league.
Jones, who will coach the Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), has arrived in Lahore via a flight from Dubai, an immigration official at the Allama Iqbal International Airport confirmed to The Express Tribune. “This time his visa and other travel documents were in order.”
Jones arrived at Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport from Abu Dhabi late Saturday but was refused entry because he had no valid visa for Pakistan and returned to the emirate.
“Today, on 19.12.2015 a passenger namely Dean Mervyn Jones (Australian National) arrived by flight No EK614 without [a] Pakistani visa. The passenger has been declared inadmissible and deported back by the same flight to the port of origin,” the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said in a statement on Sunday.
“He arrived without a Pakistani visa and no permission letter of VOA, BVOA, LP was sent by [the] interior [ministry] to waive visa condition,” it added. “In [the] present case deportation of the said person was the only option left with [the] FIA immigration, thus he has been deported.”
However, Jones said he was not deported, though he admitted that he had incomplete travel documents. “My paperwork for Pakistan Visa wasn’t complete due to a recent change in visa policy. I have Visa… NOT DEPORTED as reported,” he said on micro-blogging site Twitter.
The 54-year old coach and commentator was appointed the head coach of Islamabad United last week. The PSL is the premier T20 league of Pakistan. The first edition of the PSL Twenty20 league will be held in Dubai and Sharjah from February 4.
Five teams from Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, Lahore and Peshawar will compete in the league, designed on the lines of the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash. PSL will be holding the players’ draft for all the five teams in Lahore on Monday and Tuesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2015.
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