US Cricketers Face Visa Hurdles Ahead of T20 World Cup in India
Four American cricketers of Pakistani descent are currently waiting for their Indian visas to be cleared. They need these visas to participate in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The players are Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin, and Ehsan Adil.
Social Media Post Sparks Concern
The visa situation gained public attention after player Ali Khan posted an Instagram story. In that story, he reportedly stated that his visa application had been denied. The Instagram story is no longer visible online.
Ali Khan has previous connections to Indian cricket. He was once part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. The KKR management appears to favor him. He currently plays for two teams: the Trinbago Knight Riders and the Los Angeles Knight Riders.
Visa Appointments in Colombo
The four players are currently in Sri Lanka with the USA national squad. They are there for final preparations before the tournament starts in February. According to reports, the players attended scheduled visa appointments at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
They completed these appointments on Tuesday, January 13th. However, visas were not issued to them during the meetings.
Official Clarification on Status
Officials have confirmed that no visa rejection has occurred so far. The applications are still under active review. This review follows standard government procedures.
Sources at the ICC informed reporters that all necessary documents were submitted correctly before the appointments. After the visit, the USA team management received a call from the Indian Embassy.
The embassy indicated that some required information had been received. However, they are still waiting for additional inputs from India's Foreign Ministry. Once that process finishes, the players will be contacted for the next steps.
The situation remains under review. Officials express hope for a positive resolution before the tournament begins.
Standard Procedure for Special Cases
Officials familiar with the matter clarified the ongoing review. They stated it is a standard procedure for special-category visa cases. The Indian government is handling it strictly according to established protocols.
According to them, there has been no rejection. The applications are still active and in process.
Visa applications involving players of Pakistani origin often face additional administrative checks. This is standard practice. The player's current nationality or the team they represent does not change this process.
Similar processes were followed in the past for international cricketers like Moeen Ali, Shoaib Bashir, and Usman Khawaja during their visits to India.
Other Players in Similar Situation
Reports indicate that two England cricketers of Pakistani origin are also waiting for visa clearance. One is Adil Rashid. His family migrated to England from Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1967.
The other cricketer is Rehan Ahmed. He is also from Mirpur. Unlike Adil Rashid, who was born in the UK, Rehan Ahmed was born in Pakistan.
Multi-Department Approval Process
Sources close to the process explain that such applications typically need approval from multiple government departments. The final clearance comes from India's Ministry of External Affairs. These steps operate independently of cricket boards, the ICC, or tournament organizers.
Officials also stress that the same rules apply to all World Cup teams. Players of Pakistani origin from other countries like the UAE, Canada, Oman, and Italy are expected to follow identical procedures.
Pakistan-Origin Players in Other Squads
A number of Pakistan-origin cricketers are part of other national teams for the T20 World Cup. For the UAE squad, this includes captain Mohammad Waseem. Since the Emirates does not offer citizenship to these players, they will likely travel on their Pakistani passports.
For Canada, players of Pakistani descent include Saad bin Zafar, Junaid Siddiqui, and Kaleem Sana. The origin of another player, Rayyan Pathan, is less clear. Pathan was born and raised in Canada and holds a Canadian passport.
Many players in the Oman squad have Pakistani origins. Examples include Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, and Wasim Ali.
Italy's squad has not been officially announced yet. However, it will likely include several players of Pakistani origin. Probable names include Zain Naqvi, Zain Ali, Muhammad Arslan, Bilal Muhammad, and Faizan Hussain.
