United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office has issued a strong statement, urging the Indian government to 'treat British citizens fairly' after England's uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir returned home due to a delay in his visa process. Bashir was initially set to travel to India with England's cricket team but had to stay back in Abu Dhabi, eventually returning to London after failing to secure his Indian visa. The delay in the visa process ruled out the rookie off-spinner for the first Test against India in Hyderabad.
In response to Bashir's visa row, UK PM Sunak's office expressed concern over the Indian government's actions and highlighted that the matter had been raised with the Indian High Commission in London previously. A spokesperson for the British government was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo, "The specifics of this case are a matter for Shoaib Bashir and the Indian Government. But we absolutely expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa process. We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage experience applying for visas with the Indian High Commission in London."
India captain Rohit Sharma expressed hope that Bashir would soon resolve the visa issue and join the team. Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes conveyed being 'devastated' for the youngster, dealing with challenges on his debut England tour. On the eve of the first Test against India, England announced their playing 11, featuring four spinners and handing the debut cap to spinner Tom Hartley. The visiting team opted for Mark Wood as the sole pacer, leaving out the experienced speedster James Anderson.
