Saqib Mahmood OUT of India series due to visa issues? Fresh update arrives

England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood has finally secured the visa ahead of the team's white-ball tour of India. Mahmood recently encountered a delay in the visa process due to which he also missed a training camp in the UAE.

However, he will now travel with the England squad to Kolkata for the first T20I of the series. The opening match of the T20I series will be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on January 22. England will play a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series before going to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.

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Saqib Mahmood finally secures a visa

Saqib Mahmood is of Pakistani heritage, which is the main reason for the delay in his visa process. The situation has happened previously as well with various Pakistani-origin cricketers like Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Shoaib Bashir, and Rehan Ahmed.

However, Rashid and Rehan have already received their visas. Both these players, who are a part of England's squad for the T20I series, are also from the same origin. Mahmood was the only player left to have been granted the visa.

Saqib Mahmood faced similar issues in 2019 as well and was replaced later from Ethe ngland Lions tour of India after a drawn-out visa process. He also missed Lancashire's pre-season tour of India after anticipating a similar problem.

Saqib Mahmood misses England's camp

Before the tour of India, Mahmood was to attend a fast bowling camp in Abu Dhabi to get acclimatized to the Indian conditions. The camp was led by the former England quick James Anderson, who is also the team's fast-bowling consultant.

The camp featured England's top fast bowlers like Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Mark Wood. However, Mahmood was unable to travel with the team as his passport was still with the Indian Embassy at that time.

Saqib Mahmood recently overcame consecutive lower-back stress fractures to mark his international return in 2024. He played in the T20I series against West Indies last year and finished with 9 wickets in just 4 matches at an excellent average of 10.55 and an economy rate of 6.33.

The 27-year-old right-arm quick has played 2 Tests, 9 ODIs, and 18 T20Is. He has also been named in England's squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. He has a good ODI record with 14 wickets in 9 ODIs at an average of 26.85.

The same problem faced by Shoaib Bashir

Offspinner Shoaib Bashir was the recent cricketer to face this problem and he missed the opening Test of England's tour of India in early 2024 played in Hyderabad. However, England managed to win the match due to Tom Hartley's brilliant spin-bowling display.

Bashir was back in time for the second Test of the series and played in three Tests. But India came back strongly to clinch the series 4-1. Bashir made his Test debut in the series and finished with 17 wickets in three Tests.