Upcoming England spinner Shoaib Bashir recently had to travel back to the United Kingdom following a visa issue, find out what exactly happened along with his origin and family details
The 20-year-old player was set to fly out to India with the England team following a camp in Abu Dhabi.
England cricketer Shoaib Bashir origin, nationality, family, parents and father name as he’s denied India visa
Shoaib Bashir's visa has been approved, but needs to be stamped into his passport at the Indian High Commission in the UK. (Telegraph). pic.twitter.com/oAwpTN2VxG
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 24, 2024
Rohit Sharma said, "I feel for Shoaib Bashir, but unfortunately I don't sit in the visa office to grant him the visas". pic.twitter.com/3a94ml889V
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 24, 2024
Notably, Shoaib Bashir just recently received his maiden senior-team call-up for the India tour of Australia.
Fellow spinner Tom Hartley will likely make his way into the playing XI to replace Shoaib.
Shoaib Bashir visa issue explored
Unsurprisingly, Shoaib’s denial of a visa has left everyone in the England team devastated, especially their skipper, Ben Stokes. Shoaib had to travel back to the UK after the Indian High Commission in London refused to grant a visa. As a result, the rookie spinner was ruled out of the inaugural Test in the upcoming five-match series in Hyderabad. Bashir will now have to answer a round of questions and submit the relevant paperwork in London. The 20-year-old will have to submit several documents to prove himself worthy of receiving an Indian visa.
The complications arose because, although Shoaib was born in the UK and holds British citizenship, he is of Pakistani descent. His heritage links with India’s neighboring country are the main reason behind his not receiving an Indian visa.
His family is of Pakistani heritage but the names of his parents aren’t known.
Shoaib Bashir steps to receive Indian visa
Since Bashir is a Pakistani-origin player, he would have to submit the following to receive an Indian visa:
- Bank documents
- Travel history from the past
- Detailed information about parents and grandparents
- Copies of Identity proofs
- Other relevant documents
Notably, the entire process would take around 6–8 weeks, or even more than that. Although the Wales and England Cricket Board has raised the issue with the Indian High Commission in London, the process will likely take the same amount of time.
Shoaib Bashir expected India arrival date
While the England team arrived in India on Sunday, January 21, 2024, Shoaib Bashir will likely arrive in India later this week.
Ben Stokes speaks out about Shoaib Bashir’s visa issue
Following the incident, England captain Ben Stokes has spoken out about the whole situation. During the pre-tournament press conference, the England skipper shared:
I’m devastated for him. As captain, I find it particularly frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues, Stokes stated in the conference. 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. I feel for him. But he’s not the first cricketer to go through this; I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues.”
Other players who were denied Indian visa in the past
Aside from Shoaib Bashir, there have been several other players in the past who were denied an Indian visa. England’s Moeen Ali and Saqib Mahmood and Australia’s Usman Khawaja are all players who received delayed visas due to their Pakistani heritage.