Ben Stokes thanked the BCCI for settling Rehan Ahmed’s visa issue. After arriving in Rajkot, Ahmed, who is of Pakistani heritage, issue a single entry visa.
The visa issue involving England wristspinner Rehan Ahmed ultimately settle on Wednesday, February 14, before of the third Test in Rajkot. Notably, the 19-year-old encountered difficulties returning to India following England’s ten-day break in Abu Dhabi. Ahmed, who is of Pakistani heritage, arrived in Rajkot with a single-entry visa but was able to finish his papers the day before the third Test.
The matter was addressed by the intervention of the Indian Government and the BCCI
Following the incident, England captain Ben Stokes praised the BCCI and the Indian authorities for immediately resolving the matter.
“For any individual, waiting for that is always a stressful period, but happily. We got it through this morning, and wonderful job from the guys at the airport for giving him his visa to begin with. Everyone at the BCCI and the government for getting the visa promptly. We don’t have to worry about those obstacles anymore; we were confident that we’d acquire Rehan’s visa before the game,” Stokes told the Times of India.
Ahmed is England’s second-highest wicket-taker in the series, with eight from four innings at an average of 36.37.
Prior to the series, England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir’s entrance in India was similarly delay due to visa concerns, with him arriving on Day 3 of the first Test in Hyderabad. He made his debut in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, taking four wickets and conceding 196 runs across two innings.
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England make one change in Playing XI for third Test
Meanwhile, England has made one change to their playing XI for the third Test, replacing Bashir with speedster Mark Wood. With the five-match series poised at 1-1, both teams will be eager to grab the lead in the third game, which begins on Thursday, February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
Also Read: Ben Stokes thanked the BCCI for rapidly settling Rehan Ahmed’s visa issue