Saqib Mahmood has received his visa for England's upcoming limited-overs series in India and will travel with the squad to Kolkata on Friday, ahead of the first T20I scheduled for Wednesday.
The Lancashire fast bowler, of Pakistani heritage, faced delays in obtaining his travel documents, which caused him to miss England's UAE training camp. Two other T20I squad members with similar backgrounds, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, had received their visas earlier.
This is not Mahmood’s first experience with visa issues. In 2019, he missed an England Lions tour of India due to a prolonged application process. Similar challenges prevented him from joining Lancashire's pre-season tour in 2024. These delays echoed those faced by England offspinner Shoaib Bashir, who missed the first Test against India in Hyderabad last year.
Mahmood was originally slated to attend a pace-bowling camp in Abu Dhabi led by James Anderson, alongside Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Mark Wood. However, the Indian Embassy held his passport for visa processing, disrupting his plans to join the camp.
The 27-year-old seamer has battled consecutive lower-back stress fractures to make a strong return to international cricket. He was named Player of the Series during England’s T20I campaign in the Caribbean last November, claiming nine wickets at an average of 10.55. With 29 appearances across formats, including two Test caps from England's 2022 series against West Indies, Mahmood now aims to impress head coach Brendon McCullum in both red- and white-ball formats.
Updated on 17th January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.