England's preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026 took a major hit after spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed face visa delays. The development came in after both Rashid and Ahmed come from a Pakistani heritage. The visa delays are similar to what four cricketers from the United States of America (USA) are also facing currently.
Earlier this week, Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin, and Ehsan Adil all from USA faced similar issues as they await for clearance to travel to India. With England touring Sri Lanka for six white-ball matches later this month, it is yet to be known whether the English spin duo will compete on Lankan soil.
For the unversed, Rashid is currently in South Africa, playing in SA20 while Ahmed is busy playing in Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. It is understood that both the players are likely to travel directly either to Sri Lanka or India for the mega tournament.
Nothing new for England
This is not the first time England have faced a similar kind of situation. Two years back, Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test against India after he had to fly back to London from Dubai to complete his visa application process. Pacer Saqib Mahmood also had issues while entering India in the past with the England team. Both are of Pakistani heritage.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are accustomed with the Indian government's bureaucratic approach in recent times, more so after the worse diplomatic relations with Pakistan.
Indian government assures ECB
According to a report in The Guardian, the ECB has received assurances from the Indian government that both the players will be allowed entry to the country for the T20 World Cup 2026. The ECB is also believed to have sought UK government's help to expedite the process.
In the T20 World Cup 2026, England have been put in Group C along with Italy, Nepal, Bangladesh and West Indies. The 2010 champions start their campaign on February 8 against Nepal, followed by matches against West Indies (February 11), Bangladesh (February 14) and Italy (February 16).
Unlike others, England are yet to announce their final 15-memer squad. Although the ECB has named a provisional squad, the final list of players are expected to come after the series against Sri Lanka.
England's provisional squad for T20 World Cup
Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
