Follow UsWest Indies’ premier spinner in T20Is, Akeal Hosein, would certainly miss the first T20I against England, as his team would play at Chester-Lee-Street, Durham County in their three-match assignment on the tour of England.
But the left-arm tweaker might miss the remaining two games at Bristol and Southampton as well, due to a change in visa rules for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago coming to England from April 12, 2025.
The rule change says that people from Trinidad and Tobago need to present themselves in person for their application to be accepted and visas to be granted. Since Hosein was playing in the Pakistan Super League, he was unable to remain physically present in time to get the visas at the right time.
Another player from the same country, Jyd Goolie, has also been unable to get a visa as he was called in as a late replacement for Roston Chase, who will no longer take part in the T20 leg of the England tour, which will be followed by T20Is against Ireland.
Director of Cricket, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Miles Bascombe, clarified that the board was at no fault for such a delay in visa granting.
"As soon as the updated visa requirements were announced, CWI began the necessary application processes. This was only possible after Akeal returned to Trinidad, and following the confirmation of Jyd's selection to the Ireland squad,” Bascombe said in a statement.
"Akeal, who was selected for both the England and Ireland legs of the tour, was granted permission to fulfil his commitments with the extended Pakistan Super League until mid-May,” he added.
Cricket West Indies hopes that the issue will be resolved soon, and both players will get visas. So far, Chase, who was supposed to leave for West Indies to prepare for the home series against Australia, will now stay back till the end of the series or before the two spinners get their visas.