Ben Stokes departed ‘frustrated’ before of the first Test match against India, while England’s Shoaib Bashir flew home to resolve visa concerns
In order to resolve his visa concerns before the Test series against India, England player Shoaib Bashir has gone home. Twenty-year-old British Muslim of Pakistani descent, Bashir was the only tour member from England to have difficulties getting his visa, and it took a long time. Bashir stayed in the Emirate as his colleagues left for Hyderabad for the first test after a training camp in Abu Dhabi. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), whose managing director of operations, Stuart Hooper, remained with Bashir, tried in vain to find a solution in the United Arab Emirates.
The spinner has come back to England in order to go to the Indian embassy and get the required clearance. The issues surrounding Bashir’s visa during his maiden international trip have irritated the England camp, even if it was doubtful that he would play in the first Test.
England captain Ben Stokes was cited by the AP as saying, “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.” I feel terrible for him, especially because he’s a young man.
It aggravates me, especially as captain. We revealed the team in the middle of December, and now Bash needs a visa to enter the country. He’s hardly the only cricket player to experience this. Many of the folks I have played with have had similar problems. The fact that we have selected a player and he is not among us due to visa complications irritates me. Although being in this circumstance is difficult, many individuals have been making an effort to overcome it.”
After incidents such as Usman Khawaja’s delayed admission to Australia’s tour last year and Saqib Mahmood’s absence from an England Lions tour due to similar complications back in 2019, Bashir is the most recent cricket player of Pakistani descent to face immigration hurdles entering India.
The first Test of the series between India and England is scheduled for Hyderabad on January 25.
