Imports hit visa hurdles
BELL Post Hill and Murgheboluc will almost certainly be without imports for the start of the GCA1 season as they battle visa issues.
The Panthers and Frogs yesterday confirmed their overseas players had hit stumbling blocks in their bid to hit Australian shores, casting doubt over their availability for the 2019-20 season.
Bell Post Hill’s all-rounder Arslan Khan is stranded in Canada, while Scottish toporder batsman Andrew Umeed is as yet unable to join Murgheboluc.
Panthers president Mark Brady is resigned to the fact his club will be without Khan, a member of Canada’s Under-19 World Cup team, for Saturday’s clash with Leopold.
“He just can’t get his visa,” Brady said.
“I’m hearing that they are harder and harder to get these days. I was looking into it to see if there was anything I could do to help, but I don’t think there is.
“It’s just got to go through the process. We’ve got no idea when he’ll be here and we don’t think he’ll be here for Round 1. Hopefully he can make it for Round 2, if not we’re looking at Round 3. It’s a bit of a pain because you build your side around these blokes.
“We understand there’s a risk involved, but we’ve never had any problems getting anybody before.
“It’s frustrating because we made this appointment around the same time that we announced ‘Talla’ ( Glen Talarico) as coach, so it’s been two months and to be held up by bureaucracy is a nightmare.”
The Frogs are in the same boat with Umeed, a patient opener batsman who recorded the slowest County hundred in championship history in terms of deliveries faced (331 balls in 428 minutes for Warwickshire) two years ago.
“I don’t know what’s happened, he just can’t get his visa,” administrator Rick Inglis said. “It was teed up some time ago, so it’s not like he’s a lastminute signing. It seems that Round 1 is looking very unlikely.”
In better news for the Panthers, Brady believes Talarico is a good chance to line up against the Lions. “He’ll play this week, that’s my opinion, especially if we can’t get Arslan here,” Brady said.