An unresolved visa issue will keep England from fielding youthful off-break bowler Shoaib Bashir against India on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Somerset cricketer was denied in his visa application, forcing him to return home to London. Bashir’s absence in the first of the Test series in Hyderabad left England skipper Ben Stokes frustrated.
“Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him (Bashir). It’s unfortunate and I’m frustrated for him,” Stokes said.
“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,” he added.
Stokes picked Bashir, who was training with England’s Abu Dhabi camp ahead of his arrival in India. The English skipper confirmed announcing the lineup of the squad in mid-December.
Bashir, who traces his roots in Pakistan, earned his first call-up with the England Lions in October last year. He had 42 runs in 15 overs across both innings in his first competitive match for England against Afghanistan B.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander signed a two-year contract extension with Somerset in June 2023. That meant Bashir would continue to play for the same team that he first signed up for in October 2022.
