• Source:JND
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England pacer of Pakistani heritage, Saqib Mahmood, will miss the team's training camp in Abu Dhabi due to a delay in getting his India visa for the white-ball series tour, beginning January 22, according to a report.

As per PTI, 'ESPNcricinfo' reported that Mahmood is yet to receive his Indian visa, preventing him from joining the camp in Abu Dhabi as his passport is with the concerned authorities as part of the visa process.

However, he is expected to receive his visa before a batch of cricketers leave for Kolkata on Friday.

It is not the first time that cricketers of Pakistani origin have faced delays in securing an Indian visa. England spinner Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test in Hyderabad last year due to a visa delay.

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Australian opener Usman Khawaja had also faced similar delays during the tour of 2023.

Having said that, other England players of Pakistani heritage in the squad, Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid, have received their visas, reported the website.

Mahmood has played two Tests, 9 ODIs and 18 T20s for England. 

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Mahmood's current absence is not his first experience with adversity. He previously faced a similar situation in 2019 when visa issues prevented him from participating in an England Lions tour to India.

With the team set to depart for Kolkata later this week, the ECB is holding out hope that Mahmood will receive the necessary clearance, allowing him to join his teammates for the upcoming matches.

Players of Pakistani descent have frequently been impacted by this issue, with Mahmood being the latest example. Earlier, Shoaib Bashir experienced similar delays during England's Test series against India last year. Bashir's situation was severe enough that he had to be withdrawn from the Hyderabad Test.

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