One of England’s wildcard picks for the 2023/24 five-match Test series in India, uncapped Somerset spinner Shoaib Bashir could not get his visa in time for the first Test match, to begin in Hyderabad on January 25.

Ahead of the Test match, England captain Ben Stokes voiced his frustration over the matter, adding how “devastated” he felt for the twenty-year-old Bashir, who flew back home from Abu Dhabi where England had been training.

With Bashir absent, England picked all three available spinners – Jack Leach, Tom Hartley, and Rehan Ahmed – in addition to part-timer Joe Root for the first Test match.

🚨 England have announced their XI for the first Test against India 🚨

✅ Ben Stokes
✅ Tom Hartley
✅ Ben Foakes
❌ James Anderson

Mark Wood will be the only fast-bowler in their lineup, with Tom Hartley set to make his Test debut as one of three spinners.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/5rsLHFhtFr

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 24, 2024

In his column for the Daily Mail, David Lloyd mentioned the decisions that lie ahead of England: “The ECB have a decision to make over the treatment of Shoaib Bashir – either ignore it and carry on, tell India they will not start the Test series until their full complement of players is present, or bring the England team home.

“It is a decision they should be thinking very seriously about and the latter two options should most definitely be on the table.”

Lloyd added: “People all over the cricket world are asking why an individual within an international squad should be treated differently from the rest. Here is a lad on the verge of fulfilling his dreams by playing for England and he is being prevented from having a fair crack at it.

“I don’t think we have ever stopped an Indian cricketer from coming here to play. Why are they stopping an English one for no apparent reason, other than his Pakistani heritage? Sadly, Usman Khawaja suffered for the same reason last year, arriving 36 hours behind his Australian team-mates for a four-Test tour.”

Like Bashir’s, Khawaja’s Indian visa was delayed when Australia toured India for a Test series in early 2023. However, the necessary paperwork was processed in time for Khawaja to play all four Test matches.

“Surely in this day and age, it’s reasonable to expect when you are travelling abroad to play a series of such prestige that your players are permitted free passage as part of that process,” continued Lloyd.

“This England Test squad was picked in early December and so they will have got to work immediately with the visas. They have had over a month. Bashir is an England cricketer, the same as the other 15 players in the squad. We need to stand up and support him.

“He will be feeling awkward and perhaps embarrassed by the situation, but he should not be in this position as he has done absolutely nothing wrong. He should not have to be subjected to this.

“My view is that they should delay Thursday’s scheduled start of the first Test until he gets there. India are stopping one of our players from playing. They have made him ineligible for selection by forcing him home to try to get the necessary paperwork through. It is a journey he should not need to make.

“It beggars belief that the delay has gone on for so long that he is now unavailable for the first Test in Hyderabad.”