BCCI rescues Mohammed Shami after seamer’s initial US visa rejection

Mohammed Shami, the Indian fast bowler, has been dealt with a number of challenges over the last few months, mostly due to his tussle with wife Hasin Jahan. However, he has been able to revive his cricketing career and is now set to tour the West Indies where he is a part of the two-match Test and three-match ODI series. In the meantime, he got himself tangled into another controversy.

The Bengal speedster was initially denied a visa for the United States of America (USA) due to unfavourable police records. He was scheduled to travel with the Team India and his visa application was rejected after his police verification records were found incomplete. Ever since March 2018, Shami’s brawl with his estranged wife has got him involved in police cases.

Shami has been charge-sheeted by Kolkata police under Section 498A (dowry harassment) and 354A (sexual harassment) based on FIR filed by his wife. Jahan has hurled allegations at Shami on a number of instances, but Shami hasn’t allowed them to rattle his career Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came to his rescue and bailed him out of the precarious position.

BCCI drags Mohammed Shami out

As per reports in India Today, along with the intervention of BCCI’s good offices and submission of his list of achievements for the national team helped his cause. The complete police report of his case of marital discord wife Jahan helped in the approval of Shami’s visa as well, much to his relief, saving the BCCI of the embarrassment. The experienced fast bowler isn’t a part of the T20I team though.

Shami still needed the visa approval as the team was to return back home via the US after the completion of the second Test at the Sabina Park in Jamaica. The Men in Blue takes off from Mumbai for the US on July 29 and will be playing a couple of T20Is in Florida and Lauderhill.

Shami recently played the 2019 World Cup and did exceptionally well. Versus Afghanistan, he became the second Indian bowler after Chetan Chauhan to pick up a World Cup hat-trick. He will be keen to put forth similar performances in the upcoming tour of the Caribbean Islands as well.