Shoaib Bashir has had his visa application approved (Image: Getty)
Shoaib Bashir has received his visa and is due to travel to join his England teammates in India this weekend, the ECB has said.
A spokesperson for the England and Wales Cricket Board said: "We're glad the situation has now been resolved."
Bashir, a British Muslim with Pakistani heritage, was ruled out of contention for a Test debut in Hyderabad on Thursday (January 25) due to delays with the application.
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The 20-year-old was ultimately forced to fly home from Abu Dhabi, where England held a pre-series training camp, after his team-mates travelled on to India.
But the ECB said on Wednesday (January 24) that the uncapped Somerset spinner will join England for the series at the weekend.
It comes after the British Government urged India to "treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa process" and MP Nigel Mills called for England to boycott the Test, accusing New Delhi of blocking a squad member based on racial prejudice.
The Amber Valley MP, who is a member of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, told Express.co.uk before news of Bashir's approved visa emerged: "In any situation, allowing your opponents to block members of your squad from playing would be unacceptable but for it to be done based on racial prejudice is intolerable.
"England should not play this test if the visa hasn’t been issued before play starts."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pro-Hindu regime was accused of prejudice amid the furore over Bashir's visa, although India's captain Rohit Sharma had expressed sympathy for the youngster.
Bashir belatedly received the necessary stamp of approval in London on Wednesday and while the resolution was welcomed by the ECB, the disruption centred on England's least experienced member has left a sour taste taste for the touring party.
England Captain Ben Stokes earlier admitted his reaction when he found out Bashir had become the latest player of Pakistani descent to experience hold-ups entering India was for the squad to remain with him in a show of solidarity.
The idea didn't last long with the tight turn around effectively meaning the game would have to be postponed. Stokes was clearly disgruntled at the treatment of his younger colleague.
He told reporters at a pre-match press conferece: "I'm pretty devastated Bash has had to go through this. As a leader, as a captain, when one of your team-mates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional."
Bashir is not the first player of Pakistani heritage to face issues entering India. Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood, whose parents hail from Pakistan, had to be withdrawn from an England Lions tour of India in 2019 after similar delays. Australia opener Usman Khawaja was a late arrival on his country's Test trip in 2023.
The Pakistan Cricket Board wrote to the International Cricket Council late last year due to express concerns over waiting times for World Cup visas.
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England had called for help from counterparts at the Board of Control for Cricket in India, with new operations manager Stuart Hooper leading negotiations in the United Arab Emirates.
They had been informed Bashir needed to present his passport in person at the Indian high commission in London.
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