USA fast bowler Ali Khan has claimed his application for an Indian visa has been “denied”, a snag that arrives less than a month out from the team’s opening fixture against the hosts in Mumbai on 7 February.
Khan, 35, dropped the single-word claim in an Instagram story on Tuesday while training with an 18-strong USA group in Colombo. No extra detail, no explanation – just “denied”. USA team management have not yet responded to requests for clarification, and the ICC, which is handling most logistics after USA Cricket’s suspension, also remains publicly silent.
Why it matters
The United States qualified directly for this World Cup after reaching the Super Eights in 2024, an impressive jump for a side still piecing together its administrative structure. They share Group A with India, Pakistan, Netherlands and Namibia. Three of those four matches are set for Indian venues, starting with the headline clash at Wankhede Stadium.
Who is affected
Khan is one of three Pakistan-born players in the current USA camp, alongside former Test seamer Ehsan Adil and leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin. Other associate squads – Oman, UAE and Italy among them – are also monitoring the situation because they, too, rely on players of Pakistani heritage. England’s Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, both of Pakistani descent, sit in a similar boat, although their English passports have generally eased previous visa processes.
Background – the paperwork tangle
Last September the ICC told all competing boards that securing visas for India and Sri Lanka would be their own responsibility, though the governing body would “facilitate paperwork if needed”. Normally that leaves board administrators to chase embassies; in USA’s case the ICC has had to step in directly because USAC remains suspended.
Poor political relations between India and Pakistan have complicated even neutral-passport applications in recent years. England’s Shoaib Bashir and Saqib Mahmood, plus Australia’s Usman Khawaja, all faced late approvals on past tours. Pakistan themselves received their ODI World Cup documents only days before travelling in 2023.
Current state of play
USA’s final 15-man squad is due to be chosen from the Colombo camp later this week. Coaches want clarity fast – not only for Khan but also for any player whose paperwork may still be in limbo. The ICC is understood to be confident of a solution before the squad deadline, yet no-one can offer guarantees until the passports come back stamped.
Fixtures at a glance
7 Feb – v India, Mumbai
10 Feb – v Pakistan, Colombo
13 Feb – v Netherlands, Chennai
15 Feb – v Namibia, Chennai
Analysis – is this a crisis?
Probably not yet. Visas are regularly approved late, especially for tours involving Pakistani-born cricketers. The ICC’s central involvement should, in theory, give USA extra leverage. That said, training plans suffer when players are unsure where they will be allowed to travel. Khan, a key death-overs seamer and marquee name for USA cricket, would be a major loss if the issue drags on.
One USA official, speaking informally, suggested the camp is “annoyed but not panicking”. With three weeks still on the clock, there is time to push paperwork through, but repeated reminders may be needed.
What next
• ICC and USA team management continue talks with Indian authorities.
• Squad announcement expected once a visa timeline becomes clearer.
• Associate nations await precedent – any breakthrough for Khan could smooth their own applications.
For now, Ali Khan keeps bowling in Colombo, hoping the next phone buzz brings better news than a single word: “denied”.
