Bowling coach Morne Morkel's visa delayed, absent from training camp

Former South African pacer and newly-appointed national team bowling coach, Morne Morkel, is yet to secure a visa for Pakistan, in order to join the team for the ongoing training camp for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. 

Morkel, currently residing in Australia, was expected to join the national training camp in Karachi before the upcoming tour.

Sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have revealed that due to the non-issuance of the visa, Morkel's participation in the crucial four-day national training camp, which commenced on Tuesday, is now uncertain. 

Sources further added that the Pakistan embassy's inability to issue the visa to Morkel can be attributed to the Eid-ul-Azha holidays and other weekly off days. 

As a result, Morkel will join the Pakistan cricket team directly in Sri Lanka for the aforementioned Test series.

Itinerary of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka:

• July 9 – Pakistan land in Colombo
• 11 and 12 July – Warm-up game
• 16-20 July – First Test at Galle International Cricket Stadium
• 24-28 July – Second Test at Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood

Player support personnel
Rehan-ul-Haq (team manager), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), Lt Col Usman Anwari (Retd) (security manager), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Malang Ali (masseur).