MUMBAI, India — A United States cricket official has rejected claims that India has denied visas to four Pakistan-origin players from the U.S. team for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup, clarifying that the visas are delayed and remain under process.
The clarification followed a social media video posted by U.S. pacer Ali Khan, who claimed that he and three other Pakistan-origin players — Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin, and Ehsan Adil — had been refused visas to travel to India for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
“I clarify that the visa issue is being handled by the USA cricket association, which is being run by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and it was erroneously conveyed by one player that the visa was rejected,” a U.S. cricket official told Telecom Asia Sport on condition of anonymity.
According to the report, all four players were born in Pakistan but are now U.S. citizens. Under Indian visa regulations, individuals born in Pakistan are required to apply for visas using the passport of their country of birth, a process that typically involves additional scrutiny and longer processing times.
One of the players named by Khan also confirmed that the visas have been delayed but not denied, and remain under review.
With the Twenty20 World Cup set to begin next month, the issue is expected to attract wider attention. The situation is not limited to the U.S. team, as several other participating countries — including the UAE, Oman, Nepal, Canada, England, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands — also have players of Pakistani origin who may face similar visa procedures. Reports said Italy could also be affected.
Sources within the ICC said special directives have been issued to Indian embassies and high commissions worldwide to treat such cases as exceptions and facilitate the visa process for Pakistan-origin players.
“We have sent special directives to Indian embassies and hope there will be no issues with visas,” ICC sources said.
Visa complications involving Pakistan-origin cricketers have occurred in previous tournaments. The Zulfiqar brothers, Sikander and Saqib, were denied visas in 2019, while Shiraz Ahmed faced delays during the 2023 World Cup. Similar issues were reported earlier by Australia’s Usman Khawaja in 2017 and England spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir in 2024.
ICC sources said the governing body is actively assisting teams with visa coordination, though the latest developments have added to its administrative workload ahead of the global tournament. (Source: IANS)
