England cricket stars face visa delays ahead of T20 World Cup

Two England cricketers of Pakistani heritage are facing visa delays ahead of the 2026 men's Twenty20 World Cup in India next month.

Leg spinner Adil Rashid, 37, and all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, 21, will not travel with the rest of the squad to Sri Lanka this weekend for warm-up games, which include three one-day internationals and three T20 internationals, Sky Sports News said. Both players will travel to India for England's first game against Nepal in Mumbai on 8 February.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is understood to be working with the Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resolve the issue, the channel said. The tournament begins on 7 February with three matches, including India, as the holders play the US.

Visa delays for players with Pakistani background travelling to play cricket in India are not an uncommon issue. On Tuesday, Ali Khan, the USA fast bowler of Pakistani heritage, said he had been denied a visa, reports said.

Shoaib Bashir missed England's first Test against India two years ago due to delays, while Saqib Mahmood has had similar issues. Read more from Sky News:ICE shooting 'chaos' in US - latestEyewitness on Iran killingsInside UK terror attack rehearsal It is understood that there is no objection from the Indian government to issuing visas, and the ECB are confident they will be able to travel in time for the start of the tournament.

England play three ODIs and three T20s in Sri Lanka from 22 January, and white-ball captain Harry Brook may have limited spin options at his disposal. Liam Dawson is the only other specialist spinner in the squad, and Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may be required to do more bowling than expected if the absent duo do not arrive in time to play in the matches..