England frustration ends as Shoaib Bashir gets Indian visa

NEW DELHI: The controversy that erupted regarding the issuance of an

Indian visa

to

Shoaib Bashir

has been resolved with the rookie England off-spinner now having obtained the visa. He is set to join the England team over the weekend.
Bashir is scheduled to make his way to India from London over the upcoming weekend, reuniting with his teammates. He is now eligible for consideration in the England Test lineup and could potentially make his debut in the second match at Visakhapatnam.
"Shoaib Bashir has now received his visa, and is due to travel to join up with the team in India this weekend.

We're glad the situation has now been resolved," England Cricket posted on X.

The delay in issuance of an Indian visa to

rookie off-spinner

Bashir had snowballed into a major controversy ahead of the first Test in Hyderabad.
England skipper

Ben Stokes

called the turn of events "frustrating" while a British government spokesperson demanded "fair" treatment of the youngster.
The 20-year-old Pakistan-origin cricketer, who plays for Somerset in the English county, had to head back home from the team's Abu Dhabi training base after a prolonged wait to secure an Indian visa.

"When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn't fly until Bash gets his visa," Stokes said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test.
"But that was a little bit tongue in cheek. I know it's a way bigger thing than doing that. That was probably just emotions around the whole thing.
"I'm pretty devastated that Bash has had to go through this," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)