More players of Pakistani origin face visa delays weeks out from the 2026 T20 World Cup

England spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed have reportedly not received their visas to travel to India along with the rest of the World Cup-bound squad this weekend. The delay is understood to have stemmed from strained political relations between India and Pakistan, the country of origin for both said cricketers.

ECB working to undo the delay

England Cricket Board (ECB) is believed to be working with the Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to expedite the visa process. The board has received assurances that both bowlers will be granted visas in time for the T20 World Cup, which begins February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

However, the delay will see Rashid and Ahmed miss out on England’s warm-up games against Sri Lanka, which involve three ODI games and as many T20Is.

Previous incidents of visa delay

This is hardly the first time players of Pakistani origin have faced issues in acquiring an Indian visa. On Tuesday, USA’s Ali Khan, who was born in Pakistan, posted an Instagram story revealing that he had been denied an Indian visa.

Additionally, English players with Pakistan background have previously undergone a similar ordeal as well. In January 2024, during England’s five-Test match tour of India, Shoaib Bashir had to be excluded from the first Test for the same reason.

As of now, it is not certain when the two bowlers will link up with their team. What is certain, though, is that many such players from other teams will have to brave similar hurdles. 

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