Following a lengthy wait, England’s off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has finally received his visa documents and will be visiting India this weekend to join the England team, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Wednesday, January 24. Notably, in order to complete the procedure, Shoaib Bashir had to fly back to the UK from the United Arab Emirates, where England had convened for the pre-series training camp.
The 20-year-old cricketer from Surrey apparently encountered problems because of his Pakistani ancestry, which has also caused problems for other international players in the past. Following his stay in the United Arab Emirates with Stuart Hooper, the director of Cricket Operations for the ECB, Bashir was forced to return to London to get his passport issued and settle the matter at the Indian High Commission.
“Shoaib Bashir is scheduled to travel this weekend to join the team in India, having recently obtained his visa. We’re happy that the matter has been settled now,” ECB posted on their X handle.
Shoaib Bashir has now received his visa, and is due to travel to join up with the team in India this weekend.
We’re glad the situation has now been resolved.#INDvENG | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/vTHdChIOIi
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 24, 2024
The British government became aware of Bashir’s visa problem and urged the Indian authorities to grant visas to British citizens in a reasonable manner. The Indian High Commission and the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) reportedly promised the ECB that the issue will be settled as soon as possible, according to an ESPNCricinfo article.
Nevertheless, Bashir was forced to miss the first Test of the series, which was scheduled to start on Thursday, January 25 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, due to the delay in its issuance. The 20-year-old will spend a few days at home after obtaining his visa at last, and he will join the team halfway through the first Test.
For the first Test, England names three spinners in their starting lineup.
In the meantime, left-arm spinner Tom Hartley received his first cap as England included three spinners in their playing XI for the first test of the series. Other than him, the spin trio consists of Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed, who took a fifer in his lone Test match against Pakistan. The lone seam option in the starting lineup is fast bowler Mark Wood, although Joe Root is also anticipated to contribute with his occasional off-spin.
Home