The Shoaib Bashir visa fiasco has finally been put to bed. After much controversy over him missing the IND vs ENG 1st Test, the off-spinner has finally been granted a visa. When the news of Bashir being sent back home broke out, English fans were infuriated and started calling for a series boycott.
The issue got so out of hand that the skippers on both sides commented on it. However, just a day later, the whole issue has been resolved.
After Shoaib Bashir was granted the visa, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) put out a statement on Wednesday, January 25. It read:
“Shoaib Bashir has now received his visa and is due to travel to join up with the team in India this weekend. We’re glad the situation has now been resolved.
In the short statement, the ECB has indicated that Shoaib Bashir will miss the IND vs ENG 1st Test. However, they also hinted that he’d join the team this weekend (27 or 28).
Although the off-spinner’s omission from the first Test can dent England’s cricket team’s chances, his availability for the remainder of the series is what English management would have wanted to hear.
