Bosman sent back to South Africa due to incomplete paperwork

Loots Bosman, the South Africa batsman signed up by the Indian Premier League, was asked to return from Mumbai airport to Johannesburg late on Tuesday night because of incomplete paperwork. Bosman is expected to join his team, the Mumbai Indians, sometime on Thursday.

Bosman had arrived with his compatriots Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs but was separated from them at immigration, and left behind when the latter two caught connecting flights.

Smith told Cricinfo Bosman was on the same flight along with Gibbs but was surprised when informed that Bosman had to return. "We arrived after midnight and had to rush to take our connect flight while Loots was behind," Smith said, before asking whether Bosman had returned home.

Rahul Sanghvi, manager of the Mumbai squad, claimed ignorance about Bosman's return. "There's nothing like that. He's coming today (Thursday)", Sanghvi said.

Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput said he was unaware of Bosman's whereabouts because "we were busy playing the game in Chennai." Mumbai lost to the Chennai Super Kings in Wednesday's game.

Bosman told Beeld, an Afrikaans daily there was an issue with his letter of authority, and subsequently problems communicating with immigration officials. "We could not understand each other, and they [the officials] were difficult and spoke mostly in their own language," he said.

He returned to Johannesburg, where he sorted out the paperwork with the diplomatic officials and left for India on a flight that will land in Mumbai on Thursday. He will then have to rush to Mohali, the venue of Mumbai's next game, against Kings XI Punjab on Friday.

Bosman, who was bought by Mumbai in the second IPL auction for US$175,000, is one of the three South Africans in a squad that also features Shaun Pollock and Ashwell Prince.