England’s spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed are experiencing unexpected delays in obtaining visas for their upcoming travel to India for the T20 World Cup, set to commence on February 7. This delay has hindered their ability to join the squad for warm-up matches against Sri Lanka, with uncertainty surrounding their eventual departure date. The England team is scheduled to kick off their T20 World Cup journey on February 8 against Nepal in Navi Mumbai.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has expressed confidence that the necessary visas will be granted to Rashid and Ahmed in due time. However, the exact timeline for visa approval remains uncertain, prompting the ECB to seek assistance from the UK government to expedite the process. Notably, in a past incident, Shoaib Bashir had to return home to resolve visa issues, preventing him from joining the England squad in India for a Test series.
Leading up to the T20 World Cup, England is slated to play a series of ODIs and T20Is in Sri Lanka starting from January 22. Harry Brook will captain the team during the Sri Lanka tour and the subsequent T20 World Cup. Following their initial match against Nepal, England is set to face the West Indies and defending champions England in subsequent fixtures before concluding their group-stage matches against Italy on February 16. In the previous edition of the tournament, England was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions India.
