Last year, Shoaib Bashir was ruled out of England’s first Test in Hyderabad due to a delay in obtaining his visa. Six years ago, Mahmood was replaced in an England Lions squad to tour India following delays in the visa process, and ultimately opted not to apply for one ahead of Lancashire’s pre-season tour last year, anticipating a similar problem.
The ECB declined to comment but is optimistic that Mahmood will get his visa in time to board the team’s flight. It is understood that the other two players in England’s T20I team of Pakistani descent, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, have already received their visas.
Mahmood was due to join Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood at a bowling camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the tour of India, which is being overseen by James Anderson in his capacity as fast bowling consultant. But he was required to hand over his passport as part of the visa process and was therefore unable to travel.
Mahmood, 27, has earned 29 caps for England across all formats, but his progress stalled after his Test debut in 2022 due to consecutive stress fractures in his lower back. He reminded the England selectors of his ability with a match-winning spell in the final Hundred in 2024, before being named player of the series during England’s T20Is in the Caribbean in November.
