Home Office visa delays threatening to have major impact on English cricket season

GEORGE DOBELL - EXCLUSIVE: There are growing concerns that the availability of players in the T20 Blast and The Hundred will be affected, as there is little sign of improvement in a system which is struggling to cope with the impact of war in Ukraine

A delay in the issuing of visas is threatening the availability of players in domestic cricket in England and Wales.

At present, the problem has been most obvious in the recreational game where hundreds of clubs are still awaiting their overseas professionals for the 2022 season. But there are growing concerns that the availability of players in the Vitality Blast and The Hundred will also be affected, as there is little sign of improvement in a system which is struggling to cope with the impact of war in Ukraine.

While there has, in the past, been an ability to pay extra for a 'fast track' visa, it appears this option is currently not available (those applying are still invited to apply for it, but are later compensated) which effectively means that professional and recreational players are likely to face similar length delays.

The Cricketer is aware of one player, from Sri Lanka, who is still awaiting a visa they applied for in March.

"It's chaos," one agent told The Cricketer. "The government are saying the crisis in Ukraine has caused the problem and no doubt it hasn't helped. But the system was always under resourced.

^{The Hundred could yet be impacted by Home Office visa delays [Getty Images]}

"The season is well under way now and both clubs and players are missing out. I know of a club who, with accommodation costs taken into account, have probably lost around £3,000 by now. And I have one player who is in danger of losing his home in Sri Lanka as he hasn't been able to earn for several weeks. There are hundreds of players in the same position."

With the Blast starting in eight days and The Hundred to follow later in the summer, players (and their agents) are being urged to make their visa applications as early as possible. One of Warwickshire's overseas players, the Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew, missed the opening two rounds of the LV= Insurance County Championship campaign.

There are also concerns the situation will compromise recreational club's ability to host schemes such as All Stars. In many cases, overseas pros manage these sessions as part of their deals with clubs. With most visa applications demanding that players gain an ECB Level 2 coaching qualification while in the UK, agents are also concerned that, unless the situation is resolved shortly, this will become tough to achieve.

"We are aware of the challenges that delays in the visa application process is presenting to the recreational game, in particular," a spokesperson for the ECB told The Cricketer.

"This is not a cricket-specific issue and we are working governing bodies from other sports and the Home Office to find an appropriate solution in the circumstances."

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