England's T20 World Cup 2026 plans face setback, two Pakistan-origin players' visas delayed

England's preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 have taken a hit as their Pakistan-origin players Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed are yet to receive their India visas.

As per a report by The Guardian, Rashid and Ahmed are unlikely to travel with the squad for the preparatory series against Sri Lanka ahead of the mega event. There is not clarity over when they will be able to join the Harry Brook-led squad.

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This is not the first time an England player of Pakistani heritage has faced visa delay issues. On England's previous tour of India, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test of the series. He was in UAE with the squad but had to fly back to London as his visa application process was incomplete. Pacer Saqib Mahmood is another player whose visa has been delayed previously.

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ECB are confident of their key spinners getting their India visas soon. England are already low on confidence having lost the Ashes 2025-26 4-1. They have faced scrutiny for their off-the-field activities during the Australia tour which are currently been investigated. The current white-ball captain Brook was fined by the ECB for an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand.

It is crucial for head coach Brendon McCullum and Brook that England perform well and at least reach the semifinals. In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, England crashed out at the group stage. 

England’s limited-overs tour for Sri Lanka

England are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka. The ODI series will begin on January 22. All three ODIs will be played in Colombo. The T20I series will commence on January 30. All three T20Is will be played in Pallekele.

England’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule

After the last game of the series on February 3, England will travel to India for their T20 World Cup 2026 matches. They have been played in Group C alongside Nepal, West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy. They will begin their campaign against Nepal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on February 8. Their next match against West Indies on February 11 is at the same venue as well. Their games against Bangladesh and Italy will be played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on February 14 and 16 respectively.