Visa issues leave England without Shoaib Bashir on arrival in India

England began their preparations for the Test in Hyderabad without Shoaib Bashir after visa issues left him stranded in the United Arab Emirates.

England arrived in India on Sunday ahead of Thursday's opening Test following a training camp in Abu Dhabi, where Bashir remains after a delay in his paperwork prevented him from traveling with the rest of the squad . The Somerset player, whose parents are of Pakistani heritage, is joined by Stuart Hooper, who recently joined the ECB as their new general manager of cricket operations.

Brendon McCullum, England's head coach, said the ECB had brought the matter to the attention of relevant authorities, including the Indian government, and expected positive news within the next 24 hours. England are optimistic of a quick resolution and also hope to host Dan Lawrence on Monday evening.

Lawrence was drafted into the 16-man squad after Harry Brook returned home following a family emergency. Brook returned to the UK on Sunday, although Lawrence remained in the UAE to feature for the Desert Vipers at ILT20 in their loss to Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Although Bashir is likely to miss two days of preparation – England will train at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday morning – McCullum insisted he would still be available for selection for the opening Test. Bashir, 20, was a bolter for the team, selected on promise rather than performance, having taken just 10 first-class wickets at 67.

But he impressed while on duty for the Lions and in the UAE with the full squad, where he continued to make a strong impression with his high clearance point and ability to turn the ball accurately, something England considered vital for the surfaces they expect to encounter in these series.

“Bash will hopefully join us tomorrow as well,” McCullum said. “He has some issues with his visa. We are confident that with the help of the BCCI and the Indian government, these will also be resolved fairly quickly.

“Things take time, don't they? Everyone is doing what they can. It's a process we have to go through. We're pretty confident that we're close. By the time Bash spent with the team in Abu Dhabi, where he integrated perfectly, will be of great use to him.

“We also have a little support for him so that he is not alone. We hope that the news will come today that his visa has been approved, and then we will get him to sink his teeth into these series.”