DHAKA: Pacer Rubel Hossain was prevented from boarding a flight to South Africa with the Bangladesh tour squad after the airline claimed he did not have immigration clearance, officials said on Tuesday.

“There is a new a provision that the passenger needs to have some sort of ‘OK to Board’ clearance from his ultimate destination,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said after Rubel, 27, was refused a boarding pass at Dhaka airport on Saturday.

“We are in touch with Cricket South Africa and hopefully the matter will be resolved soon. He will fly to South Africa on the first available flight once the matter is resolved,” he said.

Chowdhury claimed Rubel’s immigration clearance had nothing to do with a previous criminal allegation against the fast bowler.

In 2014, Rubel’s former girlfriend and former actress Naznin Akter Happy had made a rape allegation against him, prompting police to detain him for several days.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017