I don’t sit in visa office- Rohit Sharma on England spinner Shoaib Bashir’s delayed arrival in India
Rohit Sharma provided a comprehensive discussion on the delayed arrival of England spinner Shoaib Bashir, citing visa-related issues.
Due to a delay in obtaining his Indian visa earlier this week, 20-year-old England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had to return home. Although he was initially part of the squad in Abu Dhabi, Bashir couldn’t proceed to India as his visa approval was pending. Regrettably, Bashir, whose family has Pakistani heritage, will be absent from the first Test of the series against India, commencing on January 25. England captain Ben Stokes expressed visible frustration, describing Bashir’s situation as ‘devastating’ for the team.
During Wednesday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the opening Test in Hyderabad, Indian captain Rohit Sharma was questioned about Shoaib Bashir’s absence from the travelling squad. In response, the skipper expressed optimism about seeing the youngster in action soon.
“I empathize with him. It’s his first time with the England setup coming here, and it’s a challenging situation for anyone. If it were one of our players going to England and facing visa issues, the sentiment would be the same. Unfortunately, I’m not stationed in the visa office to provide more details on that. Nonetheless, I wish he can expedite his arrival, relish his time in our country, and get on the field to play cricket,” remarked Rohit.
Australian opener Usman Khawaja encountered a comparable scenario arriving late for the Test series in India last year. While Bashir is anticipated to receive approval from the Indian High Commission in London, the unfolding events have left Stokes somewhat displeased. “As the captain, I find it particularly frustrating. We unveiled the squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to come here. He’s not the first cricketer to undergo this,” remarked the England captain.
“I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues.”
Stuart Hooper, MD (Operations) of the England and Wales Cricket Board, was in the UAE to expedite the process, but unfortunately, it did not yield the desired outcome.
“It’s frustrating that we selected a player, and he’s not with us due to visa issues. It’s a challenging situation to be in, but numerous efforts have been made to facilitate the resolution,” expressed the speaker.
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