Rehan Ahmed’s availability for the 3rd Take a look at in Rajkot is not nonetheless guaranteed adhering to the most recent visa trouble to beset England’s tour of India.
Ahmed was held up at immigration when England returned from their mid-sequence split in Abu Dhabi on Monday night, with the 19-12 months-outdated leg-spinner observed to be in possession of a single-entry visa that had expired immediately after leaving the region.
Even though settled in the brief-time period – Ahmed was at some point allowed to vacation with his teammates to their lodge just after officials at Rajkot’s Hirasar Airport issued a non permanent document – England are now possessing to go as a result of still another visa application for one of their gamers.
It will come just a fortnight immediately after Shoaib Bashir missed the very first Test in Hyderabad due to a visa keep-up intricate by his Pakistani heritage. The off-spinner, 20, was pressured to return to household following the pre-sequence camp in Abu Dhabi to have his visa stamped in London, finally arriving in India on the fourth working day of the series opener.
While Ahmed is also of Pakistani heritage, this hottest situation seems to be a situation of incompetence by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Ahmed’s one-entry visa was issued late last year when on standby for the Globe Cup and, supplied Bashir’s maintain-up, it beggars belief that all visas were not double-checked before the squad still left India mid-tour.
“We were encouraged, on returning to India, that there was a paperwork discrepancy with Rehan Ahmed’s visa. The area authorities at Rajkot Airport have been supportive, enabling Rehan entry on a short-term visa,” an England spokesperson reported.
“The right visa need to be processed and issued in the coming times. He will carry on to put together with the relaxation of the squad in advance of the 3rd Examination.”
Whilst the two boards look confident that Ahmed’s situation will be solved ahead of the start out of the third Test on Thursday – the collection is at the moment locked at 1-1 with three matches to play – comparable noises preceded Bashir’s issue at the commencing of the tour.
England are presently down to three frontline spinners – Bashir, Ahmed and Tom Hartley – after opting from contacting up a replacement at the time Jack Leach’s tour was confirmed to have been finished by a knee injuries.