Pakistan-origin England cricketer Saqib Mahmood faces visa issues (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Saqib Mahmood has been forced to miss an England training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of their white-ball assignment in India due to a delay in securing his visa. The training camp is set to be spearheaded by the legendary James Anderson, who is England’s fast-bowling consultant.
The ECB expects that the issue will be resolved before the rest of the team travels to Kolkata on Friday, January 18, to play the first T20I in a five-match series, starting next week. Saqib isn’t the first England player of Pakistan heritage to face this issue. Last year, Shoaib Bashir was ruled out of the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad due to a delay in securing his visa.
Incidentally, Mahmood encountered a similar experience six years ago when he was replaced in an England Lions squad to tour India after facing visa issues. He decided not to apply for a visa ahead of Lancashire’s pre-season tour in 2024, predicting a similar outcome.
Meanwhile, the two other players with Pakistani heritage, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, have reportedly received their visas already.
Mahmood was set to join Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Mark Wood in the pace-bowling camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the India tour. However, he has been required to surrender his passport as part of the visa process and this has stopped him from making the trip.
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The 27-year-old made his debut in November 2019. However, he has only played two Tests, nine ODIs, and 18 T20Is. After receiving his maiden Test cap in 2022, Mahmood suffered back-to-back lower-back stress fractures that ruled him out of action for a considerable amount of time. He bowled a match-winning spell in the Hundred final last year and was the star performer in the T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean in November.
The Birmingham-born picked up nine wickets from four matches at an average of 10.56 and was adjudged Player of the Series. England will be hoping that the right-arm pacer makes it to India ahead of the first T20I which will be played at the Eden Gardens on January 22.
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