Rehan Ahmed, an England spinner, was delayed for a few hours at the Rajkot airport after arriving from Abu Dhabi with the rest of the squad ahead of the third Test against India. The matter was eventually handled, with the child receiving an emergency two-day visa, and the process for issuing the right visa was also approved.
Previous reports noted the cricket spinner only held one-entry visa. Second trip to India from Abu Dhabi in a short month required him to stay at Rajkot airport. He had to wait until the confusion was completely resolved.
“We were advised, on returning to India, that there was paperwork discrepancy with Rehan Ahmed’s visa. The local authorities at Rajkot Airport were supportive, enabling Rehan entry on a temporary visa. The correct visa should be processed and issued in the coming days. He will continue to prepare with the rest of the squad ahead of the third Test,” the ECB said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
After Completing the second Test in Vishakapatnam saw England’s cricket squad fly out to Abu Dhabi. The series stands evenly matched at 1-1. Three games are still in the pipeline, starting with the third Test in Rajkot, dated for February 15.
The visitors will be happy that Rehan Ahmed’s visa issue has been resolved quickly, as they cannot afford to lose his services, especially because left-arm spinner Jack Leach has already been ruled out for the duration of the trip owing to knee injury.
As a result, the wrist-spinner is the most experienced member of the spin contingent, having played three Tests in his career, whilst Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have only played two and one Test, respectively.
Visa woes for England spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir
Shoaib Bashir, one of the new faces in the England squad, faced significant challenges in joining the team for the Test series. The Pakistani off-spinner had to miss the first Test because he needed to return to the United Kingdom to get his visa issued.
Bashir earned his first cap in the second Test, when he took four wickets, including that of Team India captain Rohit Sharma.
Despite sharing the same Pakistani origin as Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed’s first entrance in India for the Tests was smooth because he already had a visa. He was included to England’s 2023 ODI World Cup team as a stand-by, which worked in his favor.