World T20: A bumpy ride to India awaits four US players of Pak origin

The build-up to the T20 World Cup next month in the Indian subcontinent is increasingly getting hijacked by regional geopolitics. While Bangladesh continues to remain adamant in its stance of not playing in India, media reports of four US cricketers of Pakistan origin being ‘denied’ visas to India created quite a flutter on Wednesday.

A report that the quartet of Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin and Ehsan Adil had been denied visas to India on Tuesday gave rise to fresh doubts. However, it has now emerged that the four (pacer Ali Khan had turned out for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020) had undertaken their interviews at the Indian High Commission in Colombo and are ‘awaiting’ visa clearance.

The players, currently in Sri Lanka with the USA squad as part of their final phase of preparation for the February tournament, completed their visa appointments on Tuesday (13 January). While visas were not issued immediately, it is understood that there has been no formal rejection and ICC officials have indicated that the applications remain under review as part of operating procedures. The US Cricket Association, meanwhile, is confident of receiving the visas together with the team.

Sources at the ICC headquarters in Dubai told Cricbuzz: ‘’They had the appointment this morning at the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka. They completed the paperwork as per what ICC had asked them to prior to the appointments. At the appointment, the players were informed that the visas could not be processed at this stage.

"Later in the evening, USA management received a call from the Indian Embassy indicating that some of the required information had been received, while additional inputs were still awaited from the Foreign Ministry. Once that process is complete, they will be contacted to proceed further. That is the current status.’’

Visa reviews involving players of Pakistan origin have historically involved additional administrative layers, regardless of nationality or team affiliation. Similar processes have applied in the past to international cricketers such as Moeen Ali, Shoaib Bashir and Usman Khawaja when travelling to India. The USA finds itself in the same group as India and Pakistan and will begin its campaign on 7 February against the defending champions in Mumbai. 

The additional scrutiny for players of Pakistan origin, found in substantial numbers in other World T20-bound squads like the UAE, Canada, Oman and Italy, may create a further headache in India’s diplomatic circles. The experience of the Pakistan squad ahead of its visit for the 2023 ICC World Cup, along with that of the visiting media, is still fresh in memory.

Incidentally, Sikander Raza, captain and leading allrounder of Zimbabwe, is also of Pakistan origin. While Zimbabwe is scheduled to play its league games in Colombo, there is a fair chance it may qualify for the Super Eight — which will need the team to travel to India in the later stages of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh-ICC stand-off did not make much headway during the day. The world governing body, which requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board to reconsider its decision again on Tuesday during their zoom meeting, has maintained that there is no ‘nil to negligible’ risk on them playing in India.