SOCIAL MEDIA : ENGLAND PACER TERRORIST?

LONDON : England pacer Saqib Mahmmod has revealed that he was called a ''terrorist'' on social media, after he was unable to obtain a visa to India earlier this year.

Sqib Mahmood was picked for the England Lions tour to India in January, but the visa delay  eventually saw him being replaced in the squad by Tom Bailey.

While talking to BBC's Stumped podcast, the pacer recalled the abuse he received due to the issue, caused due to his Pakistani heritage.

''All of a sudden I was being called terrorist and i had not done anything wrong,'' said Mahmood.

''People thought I was plotting something when I was going on a cricket tour. I was getting called not a lot of nice things, hence why I tried to forget about it all.''

The 22-year-old recently earned a place in England's Test and Twenty20 International squad for a tour to New Zealand in November.

The pacer is still trying to come to terms with the opportunity to represent his country.

''It was a great feeling - it was almost too- good-to-be-true feeling.''

Pacer Saqib Mahmood is inspired by former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar and Australia's right-arm speedster Brett Lee. [Agencies]