Aussie cricket star stranded as team flies out

Usman Khawaja was left behind as the rest of the Australian team left for India on Tuesday.

As the team flew out the day after the Australian Cricket Awards on Monday night, Khawaja was stranded due to visa issues.

The left-handed opener was the only member of the travelling party who didn’t receive clearance on his visa.

It remains unclear why Khawaja’s was the only member denied a visa, with the Pakistan-born star expected to join the team later in the week.

All applications for the touring party were said to have been submitted at the same time during the Sydney test, but Khawaja was the only one knocked back, according to the Herald Sun.

Khawaja saw the lighter side in the story, taking to Instagram on Wednesday to post about the unexpected wait.

Khawaja took out the Community Champion award and the inaugural Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year gong at the Australian Cricket Awards.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission