England spinners face visa delay ahead of T20I World Cup

England cricket team’s preparations for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup have been disrupted after spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed faced delays in obtaining Indian visas, just weeks before the tournament begins.

According to British media reports, both players are still awaiting clearance from Indian authorities, which has prevented them from traveling with the rest of the England squad to Sri Lanka later this week. England are scheduled to play a white-ball series in Sri Lanka as part of their build-up to the World Cup, with the series set to begin on January 22.

Following the Sri Lanka tour, England will travel to India to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup. The team’s opening match is scheduled for February 8 against Nepal in Mumbai.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that all visa-related formalities were completed promptly after receiving official invitation letters from the ICC. However, complications arose as both Rashid and Ahmed applied for their visas while staying overseas due to franchise cricket commitments.

Adil Rashid is currently in Dubai, where he has been participating in the ILT20 league, while Rehan Ahmed is in Australia playing in the Big Bash League. Reports suggest that Rehan Ahmed is expected to remain in Australia for the time being, while Rashid continues to await confirmation of his visa status.

ECB officials are actively engaged with the ICC, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and British and Indian authorities in an effort to resolve the issue swiftly.

This is not the first time England cricketers with Pakistani heritage have encountered visa-related difficulties when traveling to India. In 2024, Shoaib Bashir received his visa after a delay, while pacer Saqib Mahmood has also faced similar issues in the past.

The ECB remains hopeful that the matter will be resolved soon, allowing both players to join the squad ahead of the World Cup.