India Vs England: ’I feel for him honestly’, says Rohit Sharma on Shoaib Bashir’s visa row

With the reports over 20-year-old England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir forced to fly back home after his Indian visa was delayed earlier this week, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has expressed his sympathy with the player.

On Wednesday, when Indian captain Rohit Sharma was also asked about Bashir's absence from the traveling squad for the opening Test in Hyderabad, he hoped to see the youngster in action soon.

Addressing a press conference, Sharma said, "I feel for him honestly. This is probably the first time he's coming for the first time with the England setup. It's not easy for anyone. It could be one of our guys who wanted to come to England but has been denied and is not available to get the visa. Unfortunately, I don't sit in the visa office to give you more details on that. I hope he can make it here quickly and enjoy our country and play some cricket as well."

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Shoaib Bashir, a British Muslim of Pakistani descent, faced visa issues amid England embarking on India's tour for a five-Test series. With his teammates proceeding to Hyderabad for the first test after a training camp in Abu Dhabi, the young cricketer remained in the Emirate and later returned to England to seek the necessary approval at the Indian embassy.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government expects British citizens to be treated fairly by India's visa processes.

"I can't speak to the specifics of this case. But more broadly we have previously raised issues of this kind with the High Commission. We have been clear that we expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa processes. We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage have experienced. We've raised the issues about their experience of applying for visas with the Indian High Commissioner in London," the spokesperson said, as quoted by the BBC.

The recent row has frustrated the England camp.

What did England captain Ben Stokes say?

“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," England captain Ben Stokes said, as quoted by AP. "Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him.

“As captain, I find it particularly frustrating. We announced the squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. 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. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through."

The series between India and England begins on January 25, with the first Test in Hyderabad.

With agency inputs.