England spinner Rehan Ahmed stopped at Rajkot airport over visa issue ahead of third Test against India

PTI

Rajkot, February 13

The lack of multiple entry India visa had delayed Rehan Ahmed’s exit from the airport after England arrived here for the third Test, but the spinner’s teammate Ollie Pope hoped that the issue will be resolved ahead of the match, beginning on Thursday.

England had flown to Abu Dhabi on an extended 10-day break after the second Test at Visakhapatnam but on the team’s return on Monday, Ahmed was stopped from leaving the Hirasar airport here because he had only a single-entry visa.

The local immigration authorities managed to give the 19-year-old an interim two-day visa to facilitate his entry, and Pope was optimistic that the entire episode would come to an end sooner than later.

“Hopefully it (Ahmed's visa issue) will be sorted in a day or so,” said Pope while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday.

Ahmed took two wickets in the first Test which England won by 28 runs, while in the second Test at Visakhapatnam he grabbed six wickets but India won by 106 runs to level the five-match series 1-1.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Indian authorities had found some discrepancies in Ahmed’s paperwork and that they were working towards resolving it.

“We were advised, on returning to India, that there was paperwork discrepancy with Rehan Ahmed's visa,” ESPNcricinfo had quoted the ECB.

“The local authorities at Rajkot Airport were supportive, enabling Rehan's entry on a temporary visa.  The correct visa should be processed and issued in the coming days. He will continue to prepare with the rest of the squad ahead of the third Test,” the statement added.

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