IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Ben Stokes frustrated as Shoaib Bashir's delay forces him to return home

England offspinner, Shoaib Bashir's visa delays prompt frustration from captain Ben Stokes, leading to Bashir's return to the UK and ruling him out of the upcoming first Test.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Jan 24, 2024, 10:47 AM IST

The ongoing delay in Shoaib Bashir's visa application for England's tour of India has left Ben Stokes frustrated, leading to the Somerset offspinner's return to the UK and ruling him out of the first Test. Bashir, born in Surrey with a British passport, faces immigration issues due to his Pakistani heritage. Stokes, particularly frustrated as captain, laments the situation and empathises with Bashir, emphasising the unfortunate introduction to the England Test team for the young cricketer. Despite optimism for Bashir's arrival by the weekend, Stokes remains irked by the visa-related setbacks, disrupting plans for the Test series opener.

"Especially as captain I find it particularly frustrating," Stokes said.

"We announced that squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I am more frustrated for him. I didn't want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it's like to be in the England Test team. I feel for him.

"But he's not the first cricketer to go through this, I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he's not with us because of visa issues. Especially for a young lad, I'm devastated for him. It's a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through. It's unfortunate and I'm very frustrated for him."

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Last Updated Jan 24, 2024, 10:47 AM IST