India vs England: Uncapped Shoaib Bashir out of first Test due to visa row
India vs England: Uncapped Shoaib Bashir out of first Test due to visa row
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England’s uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir has been effectively ruled out of the opening Test against India after he was forced to return home from Abu Dhabi to resolve visa issues. The first Test in the five-match series gets underway in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Surrey-born Bashir, a 20-year-old Muslim of Pakistani heritage, was yet to join his teammates in Hyderabad due to a delay in his visa application. England cricket team had arrived in India on Monday after a training camp in Abu Dhabi.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had hoped they could count on assistance from their counterparts at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in resolving the issue.
But the British media reported that Bashir has been notified he needed to return to London with his passport to receive the correct paperwork at the Indian High Commission.
Bashir’s inclusion in the England XI was unlikely but the latest development would only upset the travelling party as the decision has been taken out of their hands.
England now hope the Somerset off-spinner will be able to join the squad in India over the weekend. A dejected Englandcaptain Ben Stokes said: “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. Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him.
“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…It’s unfortunate and I’m very frustrated for him. With Bash unfortunately not able to be here, it rules him out of this game.”
Stokes’ counterpart Rohit Sharma told reporters on Wednesday, “I feel for him honestly.”
“Unfortunately I don’t sit in the visa office to give you more details,” he added.
“But I hope he can make it here quickly and enjoy our country and play some cricket as well.”
A Downing Street spokeswoman said while the British government could not “speak to the process and what’s happened in this individual case” they had raised the broader issue with the Indian government.
“Our position is that British citizens should be treated fairly when going through this process.”
England head coach Brendon McCullum had said earlier this week he hoped Bashir would arrive in time for the first match.
“We’re confident on the back of the help from the BCCI and the Indian government that it will sort itself out pretty quickly,” he said.
It is not the first time there have been delays for select members of the visiting teams to India. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s governing body, complaining about delays in the squad’s visas for the recent ODI World Cup in India, with Pakistani journalists similarly affected.
Australia batter Usman Khawaja also got his visa late in joining the team on tour of the country last year.
