Hyderabad: In an unexpected turn of events, 20-year-old uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir has been effectively ruled out of the first Test of England’s tour of India, scheduled to commence on Thursday in Hyderabad. The young player, of Pakistani heritage, was compelled to return home to resolve visa issues, preventing his timely arrival with the rest of the squad from their training camp in Abu Dhabi.
England captain Ben Stokes expressed his disappointment, emphasizing his sympathy for Bashir’s predicament. Stokes acknowledged the spinner’s talent and hoped for a swift resolution to the visa issue. Indian captain Rohit Sharma echoed these sentiments, expressing the desire for Bashir to join the squad at the earliest.
As Bashir returned home to address his visa concerns, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conveyed the government’s expectation for fair treatment of British citizens in India’s visa processes.
While unable to comment on the specifics of Bashir’s case, the spokesperson stated, “We have been clear that we expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa processes. We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage have experienced. We’ve raised the issues about their experience of applying for visas with the Indian High Commissioner in London.”
Shoaib Bashir made his debut for Somerset in a T20 game against Hampshire in June of the previous year, swiftly transitioning to his maiden first-class match against Essex just four days later. Despite his limited experience with six first-class and seven List-A games, Bashir caught the selectors’ attention during England’s recent training camp in the UAE.
Standing tall at 6ft 4in, Bashir played a pivotal role in Somerset’s T20 Blast victory last year. His exclusion from the first Test due to visa complications comes as a setback for England, prompting last-minute adjustments to the playing XI. On the eve of the Test, England announced their XI, notably omitting veteran pacer James Anderson. Spinner Tom Hartley is set to make his debut, with England opting for four spinners and one fast bowler in Mark Wood.
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