England spinner Rehan Ahmed encountered a visa issue at Rajkot Airport, the second incident on the team’s India tour, stemming from inadequate paperwork.
England’s cricket team faced further visa troubles upon their return to India after a break in the United Arab Emirates, as spinner Rehan Ahmed was detained at Hirasar Airport in Rajkot. It emerged that Ahmed lacked the necessary paperwork for entry, prompting authorities to hold him at the airport until a resolution was reached. Initially issued a single-entry visa for his arrival before the first two tests, Ahmed’s paperwork became invalid during England’s stint in Abu Dhabi.
Despite the setback, a temporary solution was swiftly provided with an emergency visa. Local authorities facilitated a short-term visa, with England expressing confidence that the matter would be fully resolved within 24 hours.
As of Monday evening, all team members had gathered at the team hotel in Rajkot. Earlier, Shoaib Bashir also faced visa delays, causing him to miss the first Test in Hyderabad.
Despite having obtained a visa earlier due to his participation in England’s 50-over World Cup squad, Ahmed, like Bashir, faced hurdles due to his Pakistani heritage.
A BCCI official mentioned to the Hindustan Times about plans for the team to reapply for Ahmed’s visa within the next two days.
“The England team has been advised to process the visa again which will be happening in the next two days. The player was allowed to enter the country with the rest of the team and he will be appearing in practice on Tuesday,” the official said.
Rehan has been a key player in the ongoing test series, contributing eight wickets at an average of 36.37 and 70 runs at 17.80.
Last Updated on February 13, 2024
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