England’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 have suffered an early blow after spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed faced visa delays to travel to India. Pakistan-born USA players have also faced similar issues, raising concerns over the teams’ preparations ahead of the showpiece tournament.
Four Pakistan-born players from the United States – Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin and Ehsan Adil – are still awaiting clearance to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is also waiting for the visas of Rashid and Rehan for the tournament.
England faces visa setback before T20 World Cup
England have suffered a setback in their T20 World Cup preparations after Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed were denied visas to travel to India for the tournament. As a result, he is unlikely to travel with the rest of the squad for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
Both the spinners will not be able to join the team at present and there is no clarity on when they will join their teammates during the Sri Lanka tour.
According to The Guardian, the England and Wales Cricket Board has been informed by the Government of India that there is no objection to the players’ visa application. The Board is now working with the UK Government to accelerate the process, but the timeline remains uncertain.
Adil Rashid, Rehan Ahmed await visa approval before T20 World Cup
Adil Rashid is in South Africa, where he is playing in the SA20, while Rehan Ahmed is in Australia for the Big Bash League. Once their visas are approved, both players are expected to travel directly to Sri Lanka or India from their current locations depending on the team’s schedule.
The visa delay came as no surprise to the England and Wales Cricket Board, as similar issues have cropped up in recent years. The board has dealt with slow visa processing in the past, especially amid rising geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
In 2024, after returning to London to complete his visa process, Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test of England’s tour of India. Saqib Mahmood has also faced similar visa related problems in the past.
England faces many challenges before the T20 World Cup
England will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal on February 8 in Mumbai. They are coming into the tournament under pressure after a 1-4 loss in the Ashes series.
Before the World Cup, England are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka, where they will play three ODIs and three T20 matches from January 22. However, head coach Harry Brook may face selection challenges with Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed not arriving on time.
With only Liam Dawson named as the specialist spinner, part-time options like Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may need to carry the bigger bowling load. England also face uncertainty regarding their group-stage match against Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested to shift all its matches out of India due to security concerns and has asked the International Cricket Council to shift the matches to Sri Lanka. Although the ICC has already rejected the request once, Bangladesh has not changed its stance.
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