"England have had a setback in their preparations for the T20 World Cup next month with the Indian government yet to issue visas to the spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed. The delay means both players, who have Pakistani heritage, are unlikely to travel with the rest of the squad this weekend for six warm-up games against Sri Lanka, and it is unclear when they will join their teammates."
"The ECB is understood to have received assurances from the Indian government that it has no objection to both players' applications, but the timing is uncertain and it has engaged help from the UK government in an attempt to expedite the process. Rashid is in South Africa playing in the SA20 T20 competition, while Ahmed is in Australia for the Big Bash, and it is hoped they will be able to fly from there straight to Sri Lanka or India."
Visa delays for spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed have disrupted England's preparations for the T20 World Cup. Both players, who have Pakistani heritage, are unlikely to travel with the squad for six warm-up games against Sri Lanka and their arrival date is unclear. The ECB has become accustomed to bureaucratic delays from the Indian government amid worsening India-Pakistan diplomatic relations. The ECB has assurances that India has no objection but the timing is uncertain and the UK government has been asked to help expedite approvals. Rashid is in South Africa and Ahmed in Australia; the ECB remains confident the visas will arrive before England's opening game on 8 February, but preparation time has been affected ahead of a tournament entered under pressure after a 4-1 Ashes defeat. Brendon McCullum aims to reach at least the semifinals to ease scrutiny of his position.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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