A delay in paperwork has forced England’s uncapped off-spinner Shoaib Bashir to stay back in the UAE ahead of their five-Test series against India, starting on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Bashir whose parents are of Pakistani origin, has been left behind following the conclusion of an England training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Stuart Hooper, who has recently joined the ECB as their new managing director of cricket operations, is accompanying Bashir, reported ESPNCricinfo.
Meanwhile, England’s red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum informed that the ECB has raised the issue with the relevant authorities in the BCCI as well as the Indian government, while expecting the issue to be resolved within 24 hours.
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Although the delay will cause Bashir to miss out on preparations for around two days, McCullum has assured that the Somerset player will remain in contention for selection for the first Test.
“Bash will join us hopefully tomorrow as well. He’s got a couple of issues with his visa coming through. We’re confident on the back of the help from the BCCI and the Indian government that will sort itself out pretty quickly as well,” McCullum said.
“Things take time, don’t they? Everyone is doing what they can. It’s a process we need to go through.
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“We’re pretty confident that we’re close. The time that Bash had with the squad over in Abu Dhabi, where he fitted in seamlessly, will serve him greatly.
“We’ve also got a little bit of support out there for him, so he’s not on his own. We’re hoping the news will come through today that his visa has been approved, then we’ll get him to sink his teeth into this series,” he added.
England Squad for India Tour: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Dan Lawrence
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