England remain hopeful that Saqib Mahmood will join their white-ball tour of India on time after delays with his visa forced him to miss a pre-series trip to Abu Dhabi.
Mahmood has yet to receive the required approval from the Indian authorities, meaning he has been unable to join fellow seamers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse on a pace bowling camp led by James Anderson.
He becomes the latest player of Pakistani heritage to experience such a hold-up, with England spinner Shoaib Bashir rendered unavailable for a Test match last January following a similar issue.
Mahmood himself had to pull out of an England Lions squad to India in 2019 due to problems with the visa process, Australia opener Usman Khawaja experienced the same hurdles ahead of a Test tour in 2023 and there were delays getting the Pakistan squad and travelling media into India for that year’s World Cup.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has declined to comment on the situation but is understood to be optimistic Mahmood will still receive clearance in time join fly out to Kolkata on Friday in time for the series opener next Wednesday.
Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, two other squad members with Pakistani heritage, are understood to have visas in place.
The assignment in India, comprising five T20s and three ODIs, represents the first since Test head coach Brendon McCullum took control of the limited-overs set-up, meaning Mahmood will be eager to make his mark.
The 27-year-old, who is also in the squad for next month’s Champions Trophy Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, was named player of the series for England’s T20s against the West Indies in November.
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