RAJKOT: The arrival of the England cricket team for the third Test match in Rajkot was marred by a hiccup when one of their players faced some issue at the makeshift immigration clearance counter set up at the new international airport here on Monday.
“There was some technical issue with the visa of Rehan Ahmed due to which he was stopped at the airport,” Jaydev Shah, president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, told TOI.

Sources said England skipper Ben Stokes stayed with the spinner till the issue was resolved. The team initially refused to leave for the hotel from the airport until Rehan got the clearance. But they left after the issue was resolved, said a senior police officer. The officer added that the team had reached the hotel.

The flight from Abu Dhabi was the first international flight to land at the airport at Hirasar, some 30 km from Rajkot city, which commenced operations on September 10 last year.

The third Test between India and England will be played at Saurashtra Cricket Association’s stadium at Khandheri from February 15.
“Flight RJD 232 (Rotana Jet Aviation) departed from Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi and landed at Rajkot airport at 17.21 IST carrying the England cricket team,” said airport authorities.
A senior officer at the airport said, “We got instructions about the landing of this flight today, and special permission was taken from the DGCA by the operator. Temporary arrangements for customs clearance and immigration were made at the airport.”
31 passengers and seven crew members came in the aircraft, he added.