(Image Source: PTI)
[Saba Sports News] The India-England first Test began on January 25 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, amid controversy over England’s young Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. Bashir, of Pakistani descent, couldn’t obtain his Indian visa in time, leading to British government appeals for fair visa treatment for its citizens.
While the England team arrived in India on January 21 after a camp in Abu Dhabi, Bashir had to go back to the UK for visa paperwork, prompting the England and Wales Cricket Board and English media to criticize India for the delay.
Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad responded, criticizing England for not completing the visa process in the UK and expecting it to be done in a third country like the UAE. Prasad noted on his official ‘X’ account (previously Twitter) that the ECB’s failure to follow basic procedures and then complaining is a typical approach, holding the ECB responsible for the mishap.
Later, it was announced that Bashir received his visa and would join his team in India over the weekend, with the ECB confirming his arrival for the remaining matches of the series on their X account.