Australia's Khawaja flies to India after visa approved

Last updated on: February 02, 2023 09:01 IST

IMAGE: Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja was the only player in Australia's squad not to board the flight to India because his visa had not arrived in time. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Australia opener Usman Khawaja will join his Test team mates in India later on Thursday following a delayed approval of his visa, Cricket Australia said.

Pakistan-born Khawaja, named Australia's Test player of the year this week, was the only member of the squad unable to travel and missed a flight on Wednesday because of the visa delay.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson on Thursday confirmed Khawaja's visa had been approved overnight and he was on a morning flight from Melbourne to Bengaluru.

Australia are holding a training camp in Alur, about an hour outside Bengaluru, before the four-Test series starts in Nagpur from February 9.

Khawaja on Wednesday posted on social media about being "stranded".

He spent the night at an airport hotel in Melbourne after parting with team mates, local media said.

Khawaja has previously had a visa problem travelling to India when he tried to enter the country in 2011 for the now-defunct T20 Champions League.

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