Saqib Mahmood received his visa for England's white-ball tour to India on Friday in a major boost to the team's preparations for the five-match T20I series starting on January 22. The fast bowler faced a delay in obtaining his travel document due to his Pakistani heritage which forced him to miss the training camp in the UAE.
The 27-year-old pacer had faced a similar issue twice in the past but Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid who have a similar background to Saqib's received their visas for the upcoming tour earlier. Saqib is expected to travel with the team on Friday and is tipped to play the opening T20I game in Kolkata on January 22.
Saqib previously faced the same issue during the England Lions tour of India in 2019. He didn't get his visa throughout the tour and was later replaced by the ECB. In 2024, spin bowler Shoaib Bashir was also forced to miss the opening Test against India due to the same visa issue.
The Three Lions are set to play five T20Is and three ODIs against England as their final preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2024-25. Saqib was included in both squads alongside pacers Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood.
England Men’s White-Ball Tour of India Schedule
- 1st IT20: India v England, Wednesday 22 January, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- 2nd IT20: India v England, Saturday 25 January, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- 3rd IT20: India v England, Tuesday 28 January, Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
- 4th IT20: India v England, Friday 31 January, MCA Stadium, Pune
- 5th IT20: India v England, Sunday 2 February, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- 1st ODI: India v England, Thursday 6 February, VCA Stadium, Nagpur
- 2nd ODI: India v England, Sunday 9th February, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
- 3rd ODI: India v England, Wednesday 12 February, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad