England spin duo Rashid, Rehan face visa snag before T20 World Cup: Report

England spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed are reportedly facing unforeseen delays in securing visas for travel to India ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7.

The visa issues have disrupted plans for the spin duo to travel with the rest of the England squad this weekend for a series of six warm-up matches against Sri Lanka. At this stage, it remains unclear when Rashid and Ahmed will be able to link up with their teammates. England are scheduled to begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 8 with a Group match against Nepal in Navi Mumbai.

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According to a report in The Guardian, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is confident that the visas will be granted in time, although the exact timeline for clearance is uncertain. The ECB has also sought assistance from the UK government in an effort to fast-track the process.

This is not the first time that visa complications have troubled England. In 2024, Shoaib Bashir was forced to return home to resolve documentation issues that prevented him from joining the England squad in India for the Test series, while the rest of the team had already travelled to Hyderabad.

England are set to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka starting January 22 as part of their preparations for the global event. Harry Brook will captain the side on the Sri Lanka tour and continue as skipper for the T20 World Cup.

Following their opener against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium, England will face two-time champions West Indies on February 11 at the same venue. The 2022 T20 WC winners will then travel to Kolkata to play Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on February 14, before concluding their group-stage campaign against Italy on February 16.

In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, England’s campaign ended at the semifinal stage, where they were beaten by eventual champions India.

England (Provisional Squad): 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