20-year-old England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been compelled to return home after encountering delays in obtaining his Indian visa. Despite being part of the squad in Abu Dhabi, Bashir couldn't proceed to India as his visa approval is still pending, causing him to miss the first Test of the series against India, scheduled to commence on January 25.
England captain Ben Stokes expressed visible frustration, labeling Bashir's absence 'devastating' for the team. Bashir, who comes from a family of Pakistani heritage, now faces the unfortunate circumstance of missing a significant match due to the visa delay.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma addressed Bashir's absence during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, expressing sympathy for the young player. Rohit remarked, “I feel for him. It's not easy for anyone, especially coming here with the England setup for the first time. If it were one of our guys going to England and facing visa issues, it would be the same.”
Rohit Sharma, while acknowledging the challenges, stated, “Unfortunately, I don't sit in the visa office to give more details on that. But I hope he can make it here quickly, enjoy our country, and play some cricket as well.”
This incident draws parallels with Australian opener Usman Khawaja's similar situation last year when he arrived late for the Test series in India. While Bashir is expected to receive approval from the Indian High Commission in London, Stokes expressed his frustration at the timing of the visa issues, given the squad announcement in mid-December.
“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,” said Stokes. “I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues.”
Efforts to expedite the visa process, led by England and Wales Cricket Board's MD (Operations) Stuart Hooper in the UAE, did not yield the desired result. Hooper shared his frustration, stating, "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."
