New Delhi: After days of being delayed, England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood has received his visa for India for the upcoming white-ball tour, starting on January 22. The Lancashire bowler happens to be a Pakistan original and this wasn’t the first time he was enduring a visa issues for a trip to India.
In 2019, the player had to be replaced from England Lions tour of India following the delay in visa process then. England spinner Shoaib Bashir had to miss the first Test against India in Hyderabad last year for the same issue, and had to return back home to resolve the issue.
Saqib also obtained his visa this time but then he had to miss England’s training camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The other two England players with Pakistan heritage from the current squad are Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed. Both the players received their visas with ease.
Saqib was scheduled to attend a pace bowling camp in Abu Dhabi, wherein all the England fast bowlers in the mix of white-ball cricket would be training together under the observation of fast bowling consultant James Anderson. The names included Saqib Mahmood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse. However, the 27-year-old Saqib couldn’t make it to this camp as he was busy with the visa process.
The Lancashire has played nine One-Day Internationals and 18 T20 Internationals for England since making debut February 2020, having picked 38 international wickets across formats. He last featured in England’s T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean region in November last year. He claimed nine wickets in four games at an average of 10.55 and an economy rate of 6.33 to be named as the player of the series.
England will play five T20I matches and three One-Day Internationals against India with the first T20I scheduled on January 22 in Kolkata.
In 2019, Saqib Mahmood had to be replaced from England Lions tour of India following the delay in visa process then. England spinner Shoaib Bashir had to miss the first Test against India in Hyderabad last year for the same issue, and had to return back home to resolve the issue. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
