Three cricketers from Pakistan tested positive for novel coronavirus according to Pakistan Cricket Board. As the players were named in the squad for upcoming England tour of Pakistan, this is going to be a real headache for the board.
Three cricketers tested corona positive
On Monday the PCB released a statement and revealed that Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali were tested for the COVID-19 in Rawalpindi on Sunday. These players were named in the 29-member squad for Pakistan’s upcoming England tour. The plan was to send an extended squad to make replacements available in case anyone in the team tests positive for the COVDI-19. The PCB released a statement saying, “Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan have tested positive for Covid-19. The players had shown no symptoms until they were tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday ahead of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team’s tour to England. The PCB medical panel is in contact with the three who have been advised to immediately go into self-isolation.”
The release added, “Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari, also screened in Rawalpindi, have tested negative and, as such, will travel to Lahore on 24 June.”
Results yet to come for some players
The team is scheduled to leave for England on Sunday and will be testes twice before finally boarding to the flight to London. After landing, once again they will be scanned before starting their training in a bio-secure environment. Pakistan and England are going to play three Tests and three T20Is against England in August-September in a bio-secure environment.
The official statement by the country’s cricket board further informed, “The other players and team officials, barring Cliffe Deacon, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis, underwent tests at their respective centres in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday. Their results are expected at some stage on Tuesday, which will also be announced by the PCB through its usual channels.”
Pakistan squad for England tour: Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
