England have suffered a setback in their preparations for the T20 World Cup next month, with the Indian government yet to issue visas to spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed.
The postponement means that both players, who are of Pakistani descent, are unlikely to travel with the rest of the squad for six warm-up matches against Sri Lanka this weekend, and it is unclear when they will join their teammates.
The visa delays come as no surprise to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which has become accustomed to the Indian government’s bureaucratic approach in recent years due to deteriorating diplomatic and political relations with Pakistan.
Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test of England series in India two years ago as he had to fly back to London to complete the visa application process, while Saqib Mahmood has had problems in the past.
The ECB is said to have received assurances from the Indian government that it has no objection to the applications from both players, but the timing is uncertain and has sought the help of the British government in an attempt to speed up the process. Rashid is in South Africa playing in the SA20 T20 competition, while Ahmed is in Australia for the Big Bash, and it is hoped they can fly straight to Sri Lanka or India from there.
The ECB is confident the visas will be issued in time for Rashid and Ahmed to play in the World Cup as England take on Nepal in Mumbai on February 8, but their preparation has been affected ahead of a tournament under significant pressure following their 4-1 Ashes defeat.
Brendon McCullum, the head coach, will want to reach at least the semi-finals to allay fears about his own position after England crashed out of the Champions Trophy last year without winning a match in his only previous tournament in charge of the white-ball team; Captain Harry Brook will come under heavy scrutiny following the revelation last week that he had been fined £30,000 by the ECB over a nightclub altercation with a bouncer the night before a one-day international in New Zealand in October.
While finishing in the top two in a group supplemented by the West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy may not be further ahead than England, the Super Eight stage will be much more competitive.
England will play three one-day internationals and three T20s in Sri Lanka from January 22, and Brook may have limited spin options at his disposal. Liam Dawson is the only other specialist spinner in the squad, and Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may have to bowl more than expected if the absent duo do not arrive in time to feature in the matches.
In another political complication, the venue for England’s group match against Bangladesh is uncertain after their opponents requested the International Cricket Council to move the matches to a neutral venue due to security concerns and tensions with India.
The Pakistan Games have already been moved to Sri Lanka, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India is said to be lobbying the ICC to oppose another scheduling change.
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