England are hopeful that Saqib Mahmood will join the white-ball tour of India on time after missing the pre-series trip to Abu Dhabi due to visa delay.
Mahmood is yet to receive the necessary approvals from Indian authorities. That meant he was unable to join fellow seamers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse in the pace bowling camp led by James Anderson.
He becomes the latest player of Pakistani heritage to experience such stagnation, joining England spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was ruled out of a Test match in January due to a similar issue.
Mahmood himself had to withdraw from the England Lions squad to India in 2019 due to issues with visa formalities. Australian opener Usman Khawaja experienced the same hurdle ahead of the 2023 Test tour, with the Pakistan squad and traveling media delayed entering the country. India at the World Cup that year.
The England and Wales Cricket Board refused to comment on the situation but are understood to be optimistic that Mahmood will be cleared in time for Friday’s departure to Kolkata for next Wednesday’s series opener.
Two other squad members from Pakistan, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, are understood to have visas.
The assignment in India, which consists of five T20s and three ODIs, is the first since Test head coach Brendon McCullum took control of the limited-overs setup, meaning Mahmood will be keen to achieve his performance.
The 27-year-old, who is also included in the Champions Trophy squads for Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month, has been selected as the player of the match for England’s T20 series against West Indies in November.
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