Saqib Mahmood Secures Visa for England's White-Ball Tour in India
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Synopsis
Saqib Mahmood, the England fast-bowler, has been granted his visa for the white-ball tour to India, starting with the T20I opener in Kolkata on January 22. This marks an important step for the player amid visa-related challenges faced by cricketers from Pakistani backgrounds.
Key Takeaways
- Saqib Mahmood received his visa to join England's tour in India.
- The T20I series opener will take place in Kolkata.
- Previous visa delays have affected other England players of Pakistani origin.
- Mahmood was Player of the Series in the recent white-ball tour to the West Indies.
- His passport is expected to be returned later today.
New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) England's fast-bowler Saqib Mahmood has finally secured his visa for the upcoming white-ball tour in India, which kicks off with the T20I series opener in Kolkata on January 22.
According to a report from Daily Mail, Mahmood was informed on Thursday morning that his visa had been approved, allowing him to join the rest of the England team. His passport is expected to be returned to him later today. This development means that Mahmood can board the same flight as his England teammates, who are slated to arrive in India on Friday.
Previously, it was reported that Mahmood was still in England and had to cancel his flight to a pace-bowling camp in the UAE. He was set to join Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Mark Wood along with fast-bowling mentor James Anderson. This cancellation was due to his passport being held at the Indian Embassy, despite the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) processing his application well in advance.
The delay in Mahmood receiving his visa is a recurring issue for England players of Pakistani descent. Last year, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had to return to London just before England's five-match Test series against India because he needed to obtain his visa, which caused him to miss the first match in Hyderabad.
Additionally, leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed faced entry issues in Rajkot for the third game as he only possessed a single-entry visa. Mahmood has also experienced problems with his Indian visa on two occasions; he was replaced in an England Lions squad for the Indian tour six years ago due to delays. A similar issue prevented him from attending a Lancashire pre-season camp in India last year.
At 27, Mahmood was named Player of the Series during England’s white-ball tour to the West Indies in November last year. On that tour, he took nine wickets across three T20I matches and set the record for the most Power-play wickets claimed by an England bowler in a men's series.
