England captain Ben Stokes has conveyed his displeasure regarding the visa delay concerning uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir ahead of the upcoming five-Test tour of India.

Shoaib Bashir, a British citizen with Pakistani heritage, is currently encountering challenges with the processing of his visa. This delay is particularly concerning as the eagerly awaited Test series is scheduled to commence on January 25 in Hyderabad.

Due to the delay in processing his visa, Bashir has returned to the UK from Dubai and will be absent for the initial Test.

Expressing his sentiments before the series opener, Stokes conveyed his feeling of being ‘devastated’ for Bashir. He emphasized that the squad for the India series had been disclosed in mid-December.

“Especially as captain, I find it particularly frustrating. We announced that squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I am more frustrated for him. I didn’t want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it’s like to be in the England Test team. I feel for him,” Stokes stated.

Stokes highlighted that Bashir’s situation is not unique, acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the entire circumstance. He noted that this isn’t the first instance of a cricketer facing such challenges, citing the case of Australian opener Usman Khawaja who encountered similar visa-related issues and joined the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India late last year.

“But he’s not the first cricketer to go through this, I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues. Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through. It’s unfortunate and I’m very frustrated for him,” Stokes added.

The England captain verified that the delay in visa processing has led to Bashir’s exclusion from the initial Test. The 20-year-old spinner showcased his exceptional skills during the England Lions’ training camp in November, gaining admiration. Considering the spin-friendly conditions in India, he would have been a strong contender for selection in the opening Test.

“Him not being able to be here rules him out. We didn’t come here with preconceived ideas about what we will do with the first team. In India you do like to have a good look at the pitch to see how it might play. With Bash unfortunately not able to be here, it rules him out of this game,” said Stokes.

England Test squad for India tour:

Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (WK), Dan Lawrence, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

(With ESPNCricinfo inputs)