England cricketer Shoaib Bashir, the 20-year-old spinner of British Muslim-Pakistani heritage, is facing visa challenges that have led him to return home in a bid to resolve the issue. Bashir, the only member of England’s touring party experiencing significant delays, encountered visa application hurdles and remained grounded after a training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Visa Delays Impact England’s Plans
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had hoped to resolve Bashir’s visa matter during the team’s stay in the United Arab Emirates, with the managing director of operations, Stuart Hooper, accompanying him. However, a solution was not found, leading Bashir to return to England to seek the necessary approval from the Indian embassy.
While Bashir was unlikely to feature in the first Test, the situation has left the England camp frustrated. England captain Ben Stokes expressed his disappointment, particularly for the young cricketer experiencing such challenges early in his international career.
“I didn’t want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it’s like to be in the England test team,” Stokes stated. “Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him.”
The captain further shared his frustration with the timeline of events, emphasizing that the squad was announced in mid-December, and now Bashir finds himself without a visa to join the team in India. The recurring issue of visa delays for cricketers of Pakistani descent entering India has previously affected players like Usman Khawaja and Saqib Mahmood.
Captain Stokes Voices Frustration
“As captain, I find it particularly frustrating. We announced the squad in mid-December and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. He’s not the first cricketer to go through this. I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues. It’s a frustrating situation to be in but a lot of people have been trying to get it through,” Stokes said.
Shoaib Bashir’s visa challenges add to the instances of cricketers of Pakistani descent facing difficulties in obtaining Indian visas. The scenario echoes Usman Khawaja’s delayed entry into India during Australia’s tour last year and Saqib Mahmood’s withdrawal from an England Lions trip in 2019 due to similar issues.
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