Mahmood, who is of Pakistani origin, faced delays in obtaining travel documents, causing him to miss England’s training camp in the UAE. Two other members of the T20I squad from similar backgrounds – Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed – had already received their visas.
The Lancashire fast bowler had previously faced similar issues when, in 2019, he was replaced for the England Lions tour of India after a lengthy visa process. In 2024, he was ruled out of Lancashire’s pre-season tour due to fears of the same problem, months after England offspinner Shoaib Bashir missed the first Test against India in Hyderabad due to the slow processing of his visa.
Mahmood was scheduled to attend a fast bowling camp led by fast bowling consultant James Anderson in Abu Dhabi ahead of the India tour, which included players like Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood. Those plans failed due to the fact that the Indian Embassy still had his passport, with Mahmood originally intending to travel to the UAE with the group last Thursday.
The 27-year-old is on his way back from overcoming persistent lower back stress fractures to make an international comeback last year, and was named player of the series during England’s T20I series in the Caribbean in November In which he took nine wickets. Wicket at 10.55. With 29 appearances across all formats, including two Test matches against the West Indies in 2022, Mahmood will be keen to impress head coach Brendon McCullum, who is now in charge of England’s red and white ball teams.
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