The Iran men’s national baseball team has earned an easy spot in the semi-finals of the 13th edition of the West Asia Baseball Cup, after the Indian squad could not participate in the regional event because they had not been issued Pakistani visas.

The Iranian sportsmen were scheduled to face their Indian counterparts at the multi-purpose Jinnah Stadium in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad for a Group A fixture on Saturday.

They automatically clinched the victory as the opposite team did not show up to the contest, and lost as the forfeiting team.

The Iran men’s national baseball team is slated to take on Sri Lanka on Sunday in a match that will determine the Group B topper.

While Iraq, Nepal and the host nation Pakistan are pitted against each other in Group A, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sri Lanka form Group B.

The top two teams in each group (five teams in total) will qualify for the knockout stage.

The 13th edition of West Asia Baseball Cup opened in Islamabad, Pakistan, on February 25 and will conclude on March 1, 2017.

The names on the roster of the Iranian men’s team include Majid Pashoei, Davoud Jabbari, Kayvan Runna, Mohammad Reza Shabani, Yassin Sharifi, Mohammad Safdari, Amir Arefinia, Hessam Arefzadeh, Asghar Veghari, Rajabali Barzegar, Mostafa Kamali, Mohammad Goudarzi, Mohammad Sadeq Gohari, Mojtaba Kordan, Sepehr Mosharrafjavadi, Mehdi Ma’soumi, Iman Mo’azzeni, Seyyed Jalal Farahibozorg and Mojtaba Vaezzadeh.

The Iranian outfit is under the tutelage of Spanish head coach Rafael Lemes.