The ‘Shaheens’ have been dealt a major blow ahead of their tour of Ireland and England for a pre-T20 World Cup series as their strike bowler Mohammad Amir will not be travelling with the team due to an unexpected visa delay.
The Men in Green are scheduled to leave for Ireland on Tuesday at 1:30 AM, however, the team’s departure has been marred by Amir’s absence, attributed to the unforeseen visa delay. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remains hopeful that Amir will soon obtain the necessary documentation, his delayed departure threatens to disrupt the team’s preparations for the impending series.
This setback, though frustrating, is not unfamiliar territory for Amir. Speculations abound that the delay may be linked to lingering concerns stemming from his previous involvement in the infamous spot-fixing scandal, which resulted in a brief incarceration in the UK.
Amir’s visa woes echo a similar predicament encountered during Pakistan’s previous tour of Ireland and England in 2018, where visa processin
g delays saw him joining the team at a later juncture.
Led by skipper Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket team is poised to lock horns with Ireland in a riveting three-match T20I series. The inaugural clash is slated to unfold at the historic Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin on May 10, followed by successive encounters on May 12 and May 14, respectively.
Beyond the immediate series, the stakes are high for Pakistan, with their performance serving as a litmus test ahead of the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and the United States.
Source: Pro Pakistani