England spinners await visas for T20 WC: Report
England’s T20 World Cup preparations have been disrupted with the Indian government yet to issue visas to spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, according to a report. The delay means both players, who have Pakistani heritage, are unlikely to travel with the rest of the squad this weekend for the six white-ball matches (three ODIs and three T20Is) against Sri Lanka, and it remains unclear when they will join their teammates, The Guardian reported.
Rashid is currently playing in the SA20, while Ahmed is in Australia for the Big Bash League, and it is hoped they will be able to fly directly from those locations once their visas are cleared. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been assured there is no objection to their applications and has sought assistance from the UK government to expedite the process, though the report added that the timing remains uncertain.
With Rashid and Ahmed currently unavailable, Liam Dawson is the squad’s only specialist spinner, meaning Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may be required to bowl more than initially planned. England begin their Sri Lanka tour on January 22 with the first ODI in Colombo. Their T20 World Cup campaign starts against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8, and it remains to be seen whether both players are cleared in time for the tournament.
It also remains to be seen if England’s group game against Bangladesh will take place in Kolkata, as their opponents have insisted they will not travel to India following the fallout involving Mustafizur Rahman. Bangladesh have threatened to pull out unless their matches are moved to a neutral venue, even as the BCCI hopes the original schedule will remain.
The controversy with Bangladesh began after the BCCI instructed the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove fast bowler Mustafizur from their squad, following political tensions between the two countries.
