An England cricketer’s problems obtaining a visa for the team’s test series in India have prompted the British government to call for fair treatment for any of its citizens seeking to enter the Asian country.
Shoaib Bashir, a 20-year-old British Muslim of Pakistani heritage, was the only member of England’s touring party to experience a significant delay over his visa application.
Instead of flying to India with the rest of his teammates from Abu Dhabi, where England held a pre-series training camp, Bashir had to fly back to London and present his passport in person in an effort to get the correct approval at the Indian embassy.
Bashir finally received his visa on Wednesday and is due to join up with the team in India this weekend, the England and Wales Cricket Board said.
“We’re glad the situation has been resolved,” the ECB said.
England captain Ben Stokes said his initial reaction was to refuse to travel to India until Bashir’s case was sorted, before quickly backing down because of the ramifications such a decision would have.
The British government also reacted, saying “we absolutely expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa process.”
Without wanting to comment on the specifics of Bashir’s case, a government statement said: “We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage experience applying for visas with the Indian High Commission in London.”
Political tensions between India and Pakistan have often spilled over into cricket, where the two neighboring countries have a longstanding rivalry.
The visa issues meant that Bashir, who is on his first international tour with England, was ruled out of contention for the first test starting in Hyderabad on Thursday.
“When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn’t fly until Bash gets his visa but that was a little bit tongue in cheek,” Stokes said Wednesday, before Bashir received his visa.
“I know it’s a way bigger thing, doing that. That was probably just emotions around the whole thing. There was never a chance that we were not going to travel around this but Bash knows he’s had our full support.”
Stokes said he was “pretty devastated” that Bashir has experienced these complications.
“As a leader, as a captain, when one of your teammates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional,” he said.
India captain Rohit Sharma expressed sympathy for Bashir.
“I feel for him honestly,” said Sharma. “Unfortunately, I don’t sit in the visa office to give you more details on that but hopefully he can make it quickly, enjoy our country and play some cricket as well.”
English player Saqib Mahmood, whose parents are from Pakistan, had to be withdrawn from England Lions’ tour of India in 2019 after similar delays.
British government calls for fair treatment over Pakistan-origin cricketer’s visa issues from India
https://arab.news/rje9s
British government calls for fair treatment over Pakistan-origin cricketer’s visa issues from India
- Shoaib Bashir was the only member of England’s touring party to experience a significant delay over his visa application
- Instead of flying to India with the rest of teammates from Abu Dhabi, Bashir had to fly back to London and present passport in person
Pakistan-born Australian Khawaja, set to retire from cricket, criticizes racial stereotypes
- Usman Khawaja said he felt he was treated ‘a little bit different, even to now,’ because of his Pakistan and Muslim background
- Khawaja was criticized in the days leading up to the Perth match for golfing twice, not taking part in an optional training session
Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja has announced he will retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes test beginning Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
He didn’t go quietly.
The Pakistan-born Khawaja, who was the first Muslim to play for Australia, used his retirement announcement Friday to criticize the “racial” stereotyping he experienced during his career.
It will be the 39-year-old Khawaja’s 88th and final test — played at the ground where he began his first-class career. Khawaja scored his first Ashes century at the SCG with 171 against England in 2018.
It was also at that the SCG where he revived his career at age 35, scoring two centuries against England. That prompted one of the great late-career revivals, as Khawaja hit seven centuries in his next two years back in the side.
But Khawaja’s position had come under scrutiny and criticism this season after being unable to open in the first Ashes test in Perth due to back spasms and then missing the Brisbane test with the injury.
He was then initially left out in Adelaide until Steve Smith’s vertigo allowed Khawaja to return, before an 82 in the first innings there ensured he would stay in the side for the fourth test in Melbourne. Australia, with a 3-1 lead going into the fifth test, has retained the Ashes.
Khawaja said he felt he was treated “a little bit different, even to now,” because of his Pakistan and Muslim background.
“Different in the way I’ve been treated, different in how things have happened,” he said at a media conference in Sydney. “I had back spasms, it was something I couldn’t control. The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me . . . I copped it for about five days straight. Everyone was piling in.
“Once the racial stereotypes came in, of me being lazy, it was things I’ve dealt with my whole life. Pakistani, West Indian, colored players...we’re selfish, we only care about ourselves, we don’t care about the team, we don’t train hard enough.”
Khawaja was criticized in the days leading up to the Perth match for golfing twice and not taking part in an optional training session. Some commentators suggested the golf might have been responsible for his back issues.
“I can give you countless number of guys who have played golf the day before a match and have been injured, but you guys haven’t said a thing,” Khawaja told the assembled media.
“I can give you even more examples of guys who have had 15 schooners (large glasses of beer) the night before a game and have then been injured, but no one said a word because they were just being ‘Aussie larrikins,’ they were just being lads. But when I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person.”
Khawaja said he knew the end of his career was imminent.
“I guess moving into this series, I had an inkling this would be the last series,” he said. “I’m glad I can go out on my own terms.”
Khawaja has scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.49 in his 87 tests with 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries.
“Usman has made a huge contribution to Australian cricket both through his outstanding achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters . . . and off field, particularly through the Usman Khawaja Foundation,” Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement.
“Usman has been one of Australia’s most reliable opening batters and testament to his success was him being named ICC test cricketer of the year the same season that Australia won the World Test Championship (in 2023).”
Khawaja said his No. 1 emotion on announcing his retirement was “contentment.”
“I’m very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have,” Khawaja said. “I hope I have inspired people along the way.”
