Picture Credit: X
In another major update ahead of the India versus England Test series, England spinner Shoaib Bashir is yet to arrive in India despite the members of the team already landing on Sunday, 21st January. The 20-year-old uncapped spinner was grounded in Abu Dhabi due to visa issues.
Also Read: Harry Brook to miss Test series against India due to personal reasons
The news was confirmed later on Monday, January 22nd, a day prior to the team’s arrival in India. It is to be noted that the paperwork of Bashir’s visa was held in the UAE. Speaking of the same, England Test Head Coach Brendon McCullum reckoned that the spinner will be joining the side soon in India, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to look into the matter.
“Bash will join us hopefully tomorrow, he’s got a couple of issues with his visa coming through. We’re confident on the back of the help from BCCI and the Indian government that it will sort itself out pretty quickly as well,” McCullum was quoted as saying by Belfast Telegraph.
“Things take time, don’t they? Everyone is doing what they can. It’s a process we need to go through, and we’re pretty confident that we’re close. We’ve 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’s squad for five-match Test series against India:
Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Dan Lawrence, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.
