Florin granted Australian visa to play in 2019/20 summer

Pavel Florin, the internet cricket sensation who stole the limelight in the first European Cricket League, has been granted an Australian visa and will take up his guest role with Surrey Hills Cricket Club for the 2019/2020 season.

Pavel took to social media to deliver the sad news to his thousands of fans.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs initially denied his application, explaining that Florin did not have a “genuine intention to visit Australia temporarily for tourism purposes”. Though on his third attempt, Florin was granted a stay in the country.

The 40-year-old reached an agreement with Surrey Hills in September, and is penciled in for a four-match appearance this month.

Florin is also set to attend the Gabba Test match, as a VIP guest of Cricket Australia.

Florin shot to cricket fame in July after his bowling action was seen around the world, as cricket fans fell in love with the story of his introduction to the game. A bodybuilder by trade, Florin picked up the game in his mid-thirties, and sits as the president of Cluj Cricket Club, the team he represented at the European Cricket League in La Manga.

Since the ECL, he has made four T20I appearances for Romania, taking three wickets at 3.33. Cluj and Florin will return to the ECL for 2020, after defending their Romanian T20 crown.

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