As preparations intensify for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, an unexpected off-field development has drawn attention to the USA cricket camp. Four American cricketers of Pakistan origin — Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin and Ehsan Adil, are currently waiting for visa clearance to travel to India, even after completing their scheduled appointments at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
The players are presently in Sri Lanka with the USA squad, putting the final touches to their preparations for the February tournament. According to a report by a cricket portal, the quartet attended their visa appointments on Tuesday, January 13. While the process was completed as scheduled, the visas were not issued on the same day. Crucially, officials have confirmed that there has been no formal rejection of their applications.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the visa requests are still under review and are moving through standard government procedures. ICC officials have also clarified that all the required documents were submitted correctly and well in advance, exactly as instructed. At the time of the appointment, the players were informed that the visas could not be processed immediately.
Later in the evening, USA team management reportedly received communication from the Indian Embassy explaining that some of the necessary information had been received, while additional inputs were still awaited from India’s Foreign Ministry. Once this internal process is completed, the players are expected to be contacted for the next steps. Officials stressed that this is the current status of the applications.
Those familiar with such cases emphasised that this type of review is routine for special category applications and is handled strictly in line with Indian government protocols. The process involves multiple layers of verification and operates independently of sporting bodies or tournament organisers.
The situation gained wider public attention after Ali Khan posted an Instagram story referring to a “visa denial”, which quickly triggered speculation on social media. However, officials clarified that the term was misleading, as the applications remain active and under consideration.
Historically, players of Pakistan origin, irrespective of their nationality or the team they represent, are subject to additional administrative checks when travelling to India. In the past, international cricketers such as Moeen Ali, Shoaib Bashir and Usman Khawaja have gone through similar procedures. The same protocols apply to all the World Cup teams, including squads from the UAE, Canada, Oman and Italy, which also feature players of Pakistan origin.
