Two West Indies cricketers ruled out of ENG vs WI 2025 1st T20I due to visa delay

West Indies' left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein will miss his team's first T20I against England at Durham on Friday, June 6. An ESPN Cricinfo report stated that the 32-year-old and his fellow Trinidadian Jyd Goolie will not feature in the match after failing to secure the necessary visas to enter the United Kingdom.

Hosein and Goolie were restricted from entering the country after recent changes to the UK entry requirements for citizens from Trinidad and Tobago, which came into effect on April 12 and May 23, 2025. Per the changes, both cricketers needed to submit visa applications and attend compulsory in-person appointments.

The former could not make it as he was permitted by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to stay with Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Quetta Gladiators until the conclusion of the league. The latter was unable to secure the visa at short notice, after he was named as a late replacement for Roston Chase for the tour to Ireland.

Cricket West Indies reacts to the visa trouble for both players

Cricket West Indies' (CWI) Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, confirmed the news of both Akeal Hosein and Jyd Goolie facing visa issues to enter the United Kingdom. He said such issues were outside the board's control and the procedures were governed by the British government.

"These processes are ultimately governed by UK immigration authorities and remain outside of CWI's control. CWI remains optimistic that the matter will be resolved in the coming days, allowing Hosein to join the squad for the remaining matches," Bascombe said.

The second match in the three-match T20I series will be played on Sunday, June 8. The series will conclude on Tuesday, June 10. West Indies lost the preceding ODI series against England 3-0, giving Harry Brook a victorious start to his reign as England's white-ball captain.