Pakistan tour of England under microscope after 10 players test positive to COVID-19

0

Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

Pakistan tour of England under microscope after 10 players test positive to COVID-19 | Mohammad Hafeez and 9 others test positive | 10 Pakistan players test positive to COVID-19

Pakistan’s tour of England, scheduled to begin on July 30, has been thrown into chaos.

An additional seven players, plus one support staff member, have tested positive to COVID-19 in the past 24-48 hours, after Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Haider Ali. The seven new players to test positive are Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain and Fakhar Zaman.

Ashley Giles, managing director of England men’s cricket, says that the positive tests are a concern.

“It is a concern,” Giles said. “Obviously I’m most concerned about those players who tested positive and their welfare.”

Also read: New Zealand tour of Bangladesh postponed due to coronavirus

However, Giles was optimistic about the tour going ahead as scheduled, given the time between now and the and start of the Test series on July 28.

“At the moment, I don’t think the series is in doubt. We are far enough away from the start of the Test series to not worry about that too much at the moment. There are some more test results coming out later from the rest of the group so we will see what those say, but we are still hopefully that the Pakistan team will be arriving in the country fairly soon.”

Ashley Giles speaking

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan also maintained optimism about the tour, as most red-ball players, bar Mohammad Rizwan have tested negative.

“The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June,” Wasim Khan said. “Fortunately, all the first-choice red-ball squad, barring Mohammad Rizwan, are negative, which means they can start training and practicing immediately after they have been tested and given the all clear when they arrive in England.”

Also read: T20 World Cup “unrealistic” and “very, very unlikely” this year – CA Chairman

In regards to plans, all those who tested negative will be tested again before boarding a chartered flight from Lahore to Manchester on June 28. Upon arrival in England, all squad members will be tested again, before starting preparations for the Test series.

For those who have tested positive, a tour of England is still possible.

“As regards the players who have tested positive, we will continue to monitor and support them, including conducting antibody tests. And, as soon as they test negative, they will be flown to join the squad in England. At the moment, they have been advised to go into self-isolation so that they not only recover quickly but also prevent their other family members from being infected,” said the PCB CEO.

This news comes after PCB director of medicine, Dr Sohail Saleem, stated that the tour is a “big risk”. Now, the situation will be monitored even more closely, as international cricket grasps with the challenges of COVID-19.

Also read: