Seasoned left-arm spinner Jack Leach is going to miss the second Test between India and England due to knee issues. After losing the first Test, Rohit Sharma’s boys will look to bounce back in Visakhapatnam as the second encounter starts on February 2. Meanwhile, uncapped off-spinner Shoaib Bashir is likely to debut for England.
Earlier, the young cricketer landed in India late due to visa issues. He had to go back to London from the UAE to fix his visa issues. He arrived in Hyderabad early morning on January 28 during the fourth day of the first Test. Right after landing, he quickly showered and went directly to the cricket ground. It was the same day when Ben Stokes’ boys sealed a historic 28-run win against India.
Stokes was really encouraged by Bashir’s eagerness to rejoin the team. “Bash doesn’t have to stay here if he doesn’t want to. But he was like, ‘no, no, I’m staying for this.’,” ESPNcricinfo quoted the England skipper as saying.
Shoaib Bashir, the 20-year-old who plays for Somerset County Cricket Club, is a British citizen of Pakistani descent. His visa issues became so significant that even UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had to comment on it.
“We have been clear that we expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa processes,” the BBC quoted a spokesperson for PM Sunak. “We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage have experienced. We’ve raised the issues about their experience of applying for visas with the Indian High Commissioner in London.”
What Ben Stoke says
The team will be selected on February 1. Meanwhile, Stokes spoke about Shoaib’s advantage as a player, if selected to play in the tour.
“If he was to play on this tour, then the great thing he has on his side is, what is there to lose?” ICC quoted Stokes as saying.
“That is how I will be thinking about it if he gets the chance to play: just to make sure I can give him the best experience I possibly can. Because you only play your first Test match once. If he does play, then I will be trying to make it as enjoyable and fun for him as I can.
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Published: 01 Feb 2024, 11:09 AM IST
