Rehan Ahmed’s availability for the third Test at Rajkot has not been guaranteed as the latest visa issues plague England’s tour of India.
Ahmed was stopped at immigration as England returned from the mid-series break in Abu Dhabi on Monday night and the 19-year-old leg-spinner was found to be holding a single-entry visa which he had used upon leaving the country. The country has expired.
While that was resolved in the short term – Ahmed was eventually allowed to travel to a hotel with his teammates after officials at Rajkot’s Shirasal Airport issued an interim document – England now have to grapple with one of the A player processes another visa application.
Just two weeks ago, Shoaib Bashir missed his first exam in Hyderabad due to delays in his visa because of his Pakistani origins. The 20-year-old off-spinner, who was forced to return home after the pre-series training camp in Abu Dhabi, traveled to London to get a visa and finally arrived in India on the fourth day of the series opener.
While Ahmed also has Pakistani roots, the latest installment appears to be a case of incompetence on the part of the England and Wales Cricket Board. Ahmed’s single-entry visa was issued late last year in preparation for the World Cup, and given Bashir’s delays, it’s incredible that none of the visas were double-checked before the team left India midway.
“On return to India we were informed that there were discrepancies in Rehan Ahmed’s visa documents. The local authorities at Rajkot Airport were supportive and allowed Rehan to enter on a temporary visa,” an England spokesman said.
“The correct visa should be processed and issued in the next few days. He will continue to prepare with the rest of the team ahead of the third Test.”
While both boards appear confident that Ahmed’s issues will be resolved before the third Test begins on Thursday – with the series currently locked at 1-1 with three games remaining – when the tour begins, Similar voices have been raised before about Bashir’s question.
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England are left with just three frontline spinners – Bashir, Ahmed and Tom Hartley – after Jack Leach’s tour was confirmed to be over with a knee injury. Call up substitute players.
