By Karan Agrawal 
English Fast Bowler Saqib Mahmood is set to miss England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi as he has not yet received his visa for England’s white-ball tour of India, which is scheduled to begin on January 22 and consist of five T20Is and three ODIs. Saqib Mahmood, who has played two Tests, nine ODIs, and 18 T20Is for England, is expected to get his visa on Friday, which means he will not miss any of the eight white-ball matches.
Deja Vu
Another English player who faced a similar issue during England’s last tour of India was Shoaib Bashir. Bashir missed the first Test in Hyderabad as he could not reach India in time before the start of the first Test. In another major off-field event in the same series 18-year-old spinner Rehan Ahmed faced visa issues when the English team returned from Abu Dhabi after a break to play the third against India.
The Delay
The leg spinner had to wait at the airport before he was allowed to enter. Saqib Mahmood, the fast bowler, also faced a delay in receiving his visa six years ago when he came to India with the England Lions to play domestic matches. No player of Pakistani origin other than Saqib Mahmood faced any difficulty in procuring visas for the upcoming series against India
The Personnel
If we talk about England’s squad for the eight white-ball matches against India the Jos Buttler-led series will be without the services of ace all-rounder Ben Stokes who has been nursing a hamstring injury that he suffered during the Test series against New Zealand. The squad witnesses the return of England’s former Test captain Joe Root in an attempt to bring some stability into a vulnerable batting lineup.
England squads:
ODIs (India tour and ICC Champions Trophy): Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
T20s (India tour): Jos Buttler (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.