India captain speaks out on Shoaib Bashir as England star to miss India first Test
Shoaib Bashir is unavailable for the first Test between India and England after having to fly back to the UK.
India captain Rohit Sharma has expressed sympathy for England spinner Shoaib Bashir after he was refused entry to the country. The 20-year-old, a British Muslim with Pakistani heritage, has been forced to fly back to London from Abu Dhabi to resolve issues over his visa.
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It means the Somerset spinner will miss the first Test starting on Thursday in Hyderabad. Bashir reportedly now has to present his passport to embassy officials when he returns to England, with the view to flying back to India next week.
In his pre-match press conference, Sharma said he was unaware of what the problem was. But he also offered support to the uncapped player, saying he hoped the problem could soon be resolved.
"Unfortunately I don’t sit in the visa office to give you more details on that but hopefully he can make it quickly, enjoy our country and plays some cricket as well," said Sharma. "It’s not easy for anyone, it could be one of our guys wanting to come to England and being denied."
England captain Ben Stokes has already voiced his frustration, with the tourists now denied one of their spin options on a wicket set to be dominated by the slow bowlers. And he also sympathised with Bashir over what has proved a harrowing first experience of international cricket.
"I’m devastated for him," said the all-rounder. "As captain I find it particularly frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues.
"We announced that squad in mid‑December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I 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. 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."
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Indeed, Australian opener Usman Khawaja previously experienced problems entering India. And ahead of the ODI World Cup last year, the Pakistan Cricket Board wrote to the International Cricket Council due to delays over visas for their squad.
Bashir was a shock call-up to the England squad in December, having made just six senior red-ball appearances, taking 10 wickets at an average of 67. But he impressed on an England Lions training camp in the United Arab Emirates, with managing director Rob Key saying his selection signified part of a long-term development plan.
