Ireland visa issues put Mohammad Amir's participation in doubt

Mohammad Amir did not travel to Ireland with the rest of the Pakistan side because he did not receive a visa in time. Amir, who is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom, applied for an Ireland visa along with the rest of the Pakistan side, according to a PCB official. But while the rest of the squad received visas before their travel to Dublin on Tuesday, Amir did not and remained in Pakistan.

The PCB are in touch with Cricket Ireland over the issue, with a PCB official telling ESPNcricinfo it was ultimately the host board's responsibility to ensure visas for the travelling squad were facilitated and provided in time. Given the short nature of the tour - Pakistan play three T20Is in the country from May 10 to 14 - it puts Amir's involvement in the series in doubt.

As things stand, there is no word on a timeline around when his visa is expected. One member of the Pakistan management - Mohammad Yousaf - also had his visa approval delayed, but managed to receive it just in time to travel with the rest of the squad. It is not yet clear whether Amir's visa delay has to do with the timing of his application, though the PCB's view is he applied at the same time as the rest of the squad.

Amir has been to Ireland before. He was part of the Pakistan side that went to Malahide to play in Ireland's inaugural Test match in 2018. He retired from internationals in 2020 before reversing that decision earlier this year and played his first international games in four years in the recently concluded home series against New Zealand.

The Pakistan squad is expected to arrive in Dublin early on Wednesday morning, with all three games to be played there. Pakistan then travel to the UK, where they play four T20Is ahead of the World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.