Srinagar: The England youngster Shoaib Bashir’s visa issue for India tour has been resolved, the England Cricket Board stated.
“Shoaib Bashir has now received his visa, and is due to travel to join up with the team in India this weekend. We’re glad the situation has now been resolved,” a spokesman for the ECB said in a statement on Wednesday.
Bashir, a British of Pakistani heritage, couldn’t make his debut in the first Test due to visa delays. The 20-year-old had to return home from Abu Dhabi, where the team had a pre-series training camp, as his teammates continued to India.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes suggested delaying the team’s flight to India until Shoaib Bashir’s visa issues were resolved. However, he acknowledged that there was “never a chance” of jeopardising the first Test.
Stokes expressed clear dissatisfaction with the treatment of his young teammate.
“When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn’t fly until Bash gets his visa but that was a little bit tongue in cheek,” he said at his pre-match press conference.
“I know it’s a way bigger thing, doing that. That was probably just (my) emotions around the whole thing. There was never a chance that we were not going to travel around this but Bash knows he’s had our full support.
“I’m pretty devastated that Bash has had to go through this. As a leader, as a captain, when one of your team-mates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional.