NEW DELHI: Due to a delay in paperwork, England's uncapped off-spinner
Shoaib Bashir
has not been able to join the squad in India yet for the five-Test series starting in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Bashir, 20, whose parents are of Pakistani origin had participated in an England training camp in Abu Dhabi but has been left behind as the paperwork complications persist.
Stuart Hooper, the newly appointed managing director of cricket operations at the ECB has been accompanying Bashir, an ESPNCricinfo report stated.
Meanwhile, England's red-ball head coach
Brendon McCullum
informed that the ECB has raised the issue with the relevant authorities in the BCCI as well as the Indian government, while expecting the issue to be resolved within 24 hours.
Although the delay will cause Bashir to miss out on preparations for around two days, McCullum has assured that the Somerset player will remain in contention for selection for the first Test.
"Bash will join us hopefully tomorrow as well. He's got a couple of issues with his visa coming through. We're confident on the back of the help from the BCCI and the Indian government that will sort itself out pretty quickly as well," McCullum said.
"Things take time, don't they? Everyone is doing what they can. It's a process we need to go through.
"We're pretty confident that we're close. The time that Bash had with the squad over in Abu Dhabi, where he fitted in seamlessly, will serve him greatly.
"We've also got a little bit of support out there for him, so he's not on his own. We're hoping the news will come through today that his visa has been approved, then we'll get him to sink his teeth into this series," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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