Shoaib Bashir, a British Muslim of Pakistani descent, faced visa issues as England embark on India’s tour for a five-Test series.
England cricketer Shoaib Bashir has returned home to sort out his visa issues ahead of the Test series against India. Bashir, a 20-year-old British Muslim of Pakistani heritage, encountered a significant delay in obtaining his visa, making him the only member of the England touring party experiencing such issues. While his teammates proceeded to Hyderabad for the first test after a training camp in Abu Dhabi, Bashir remained in the Emirate. Despite efforts by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to resolve the matter in the UAE, where ECB’s managing director of operations, Stuart Hooper, stayed with Bashir, a solution could not be found.
The spinner has returned to England to seek the necessary approval at the Indian embassy. Although Bashir was unlikely to play in the first Test, the visa-related events during his debut international tour have frustrated the England camp.(HT)