The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken steps to ensure the smooth participation of players and officials of Pakistani origin in the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. All 42 individuals involved, including England players Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood, are being fast-tracked for visa clearance.
ICC has been assured that all pending visa cases will be cleared in time. Visa applications for people of Pakistani origin usually take longer in India due to additional scrutiny. The ICC is confident that all participating teams will be ready from a logistical point of view before the start of the tournament on 7 February.
ICC coordinates visa clearance ahead of T20 World Cup
The ICC is working with the Indian High Commission to complete visa formalities for players from several teams ahead of the T20 World Cup. The England team includes players of Pakistani origin like Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, while the USA is represented by Ali Khan and Shayan Jahangir.
Visa arrangements for players from Netherlands and Canada have already been completed. Applications for teams from UAE, USA and other countries are still being processed. Officials are aiming to complete all remaining applications before the January 31 deadline.
The ICC has assured the teams that the process is going smoothly and the pending cases will be resolved quickly. The aim is to ensure that all teams can fully focus on the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on February 7.
Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood get visa for T20 World Cup 2026
PTI journalist Kushan Sarkar told that Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood have got visas to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Some #ICC #T20WorldCup2026 news. England cricketers @ECB_cricket Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood have received visas to participate in the #T20WC. @ICC is coordinating and facilitating visas for all 42 players and support staff of Pakistan origin from various countries who will be in #India for the tournament. #CricketTwitter,” he wrote on Twitter.
Some? #ICC #T20WorldCup2026 news.
England cricketer @ECB_Cricket Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood have got visas to participate in it #T20WC. @ICC Is coordinating and facilitating visas for all 42 players and support staff of Pakistan origin from various countries…– Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) 18 January 2026
T20 World Cup schedule and venue
The T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will run from February 7 to March 8, 2026. The matches will be played at eight venues, five of which will be in India and three in Sri Lanka.
The tournament will begin on February 7 in Colombo with a clash between Pakistan and Netherlands in the morning match. Later the same day, defending champions India will take on the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The venue will also host a semi-final on March 5.
The second semi-final on March 4 will be played at either the Eden Gardens or the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, depending on the teams involved.
Notably, the final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium or the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan qualifies or not. The high-profile clash between India and Pakistan will take place in Colombo on 15 February.
Also read: Adil Rashid, Rehan Ahmed hit by visa delay, England nervous before T20 World Cup 2026