IND vs ENG: Pakistan-origin England pacer Saqib Mahmood yet to get visa for India tour: Report

England pacer Saqib Mahmood, who is of Pakistan-origin, is yet to get his visa for the upcoming tour of India later this month, according to a Daily Mail report. Mahmood, who has played 29 matches for England across formats, was named in both the T20I and ODI squads for the India tour which starts on January 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Mahmood has also ben named in the England squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which starts in Pakistan and Dubai next month. England will play a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs, which serves as a preparation ahead of the mega event.

Based on the report, Mahmood was scheduled to travel to United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a pace bowling camp last Thursday. With his passport still in the Indian Embassy in England, it is still unclear if he would be able to join the tour to India.

England’s pace bowling camp in UAE comes after the freezing temperatures in the United Kingdom makes it unable for cricketers to play. Mahmood’s England teammates Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Mark Wood are already training in Abu Dhabi.

Born to British-Pakistani parents, this is not the first time Mahmood faced visa issues while travelling to India. He was denied entry to India in 2024 when Lancashire travelled to the sub-continent.

Even back in 2019, Mahmood couldn’t travel to India with the England Lions squad. Earlier in 2024, England Shoaib Bashir also faced similar harrasment when they travelled to India for a five-match Test series. However, following initial denials, Bashir was granted visa later on.

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