England’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka have suffered an unexpected setback as two of their key players, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, are left stranded due to delays in securing Indian visas.
Both cricketers, who are of Pakistani origin, are still waiting for clearance from Indian authorities, forcing them to miss the team’s scheduled departure to Sri Lanka this weekend. As a result, they will not be part of the squad at the start of the limited-overs tour, which is meant to serve as a crucial warm-up for the global tournament.
The Sri Lanka series, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is, is set to begin on January 22 in Colombo. England will then shift focus to the T20 World Cup, where they open their campaign against Nepal on February 8 in Mumbai.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) maintains that it completed the required formalities as soon as the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued official invitation letters.
However, since Rashid and Ahmed were both involved in overseas franchise leagues, Rashid in the UAE’s ILT20 and Ahmed in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL 15), they had to apply for their visas while abroad.
At present, Rehan Ahmed is expected to remain in Australia until the matter is resolved, while Rashid is also awaiting confirmation. The ECB is said to be in constant contact with the ICC, the BCCI, and both British and Indian authorities in an attempt to speed up the process.
This is far from the first time players of Pakistani heritage have faced complications while trying to enter India. England encountered similar issues in recent years, including in 2024 when Shoaib Bashir was forced to return home temporarily to complete his visa process ahead of a Test tour.
Saqib Mahmood, too, has dealt with repeated delays, one of which caused him to miss a training camp before last year’s Champions Trophy.
What has raised further concern is that this is not an isolated case. Reports suggest that players from several other teams participating in the tournament are experiencing similar problems. USA’s Pakistan-born players Ali Khan, Ehsan Adil, Shayan Jahangir, and Mohammad Mohsin recently revealed on social media that their visa applications had been rejected.
Sources familiar with the matter said multiple boards had already taken up the issue with the ICC, warning that visa complications for players of Pakistani origin could disrupt squad planning across several teams. However, no concrete assurances were reportedly provided.
