England skipper Ben Stokes is frustrated over the visa delay of Shoaib Bashir for the five-match Test series against India. The spinner has flown back to England and will miss the first Test against India, which will start on Thursday, January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Shoaib Bashir, a British citizen with Pakistani heritage, was included in England’s squad for the series. However, a visa delay has ruled him out of the first Test match. He has flown back from Dubai to the UK to sort out the visa concerns. He is likely to be back for the second Test. Ben Stokes expressed frustration over the youngster missing out on the first test. He said,
“Especially as captain, I find it particularly frustrating.”
“We announced that squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I am more frustrated for him. Didn’t want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it’s like to be in the England Test team. I feel for him,” he added.
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It’s unfortunate: Ben Stokes
England skipper Ben Stokes further expressed that it’s unfortunate that Shoaib Bashir has to miss out on the first Test. He added that the spinner isn’t the first cricketer to face this issue. In 2023, Usman Khawaja also faced visa delays to arrive in India. Meanwhile, the rest of the England team has arrived in India ahead of the tour and has kicked off their training.
“But he’s not the first cricketer to go through this, I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues. Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through. It’s unfortunate and I’m very frustrated for him,” said Ben Stokes.
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