Sydney, Feb 1 () Australia batter Usman Khawaja’s India visit for the Test series delayed as he is still awaiting a visa from the Indian government and has been stranded in Sydney.
The players and support staff left for India via two separate flights on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of the first Test scheduled to begin in Nagpur on February 9.
Khawaja posted on his Instagram on Wednesday to indicate he was yet to leave: “Me waiting for my Indian Visa like… #stranded #dontleaveme #standard #anytimenow”.
Players slated to tour India have had their visas in process since early January, but Khawaja is the only member left of the touring party not to be approved in time.
A Cricket Australia official said the governing body was aware of the situation and was hopeful Khawaja would be approved for entry to India imminently, according to ABC News.
Pakistan-born Khawaja, who has toured India numerous times before, has had difficulty getting a visa previously too.
The Australian team will have a four-day training camp in Bengaluru before leaving for Nagpur for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on February 9.
bc/cs