Bangladesh's Saif Hassan Tests Positive For COVID-19 For Second Time

Updated - 16 Sep 2020, 12:34 PM

Saif Hassan (Credits - Twitter)

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Bangladesh batsman Saif Hassan has returned positive in his second Covid test too, according to ESPNcricinfo. He underwent the second test exactly seven days after he first tested positive but is still positive.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not added Saif Hassan’s name in their list of 27 cricketers considered for the preliminary squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka. However, he is likely to make it to the squad if he recovers in time. The 21-year old played in Bangladesh’s last two Tests earlier this year.

He broke into Bangladesh’s Test side after impressing in domestic cricket as well as for Bangladesh A in the last couple of years. Last year, he earned his maiden Test call-up for the tour of India but failed to make it to the playing eleven. He finally made his debut in February this year during the series in Pakistan before playing another Test at home against Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh’s tour in doubt:

There are doubts over the Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka after BCB chief rejected the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the hosts. Bangladesh are scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series in October-November. If the series goes ahead, it would mark the return to international cricket for both the nations after a long lay-off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, things are not looking promising at present. On Monday, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said Sri Lanka’s conditions, which include 14 days of isolation for players after arrival — during which practising would be forbidden — were unacceptable.

“The proposal we received is… not even close to what we agreed upon,” Hassan told reporters in Dhaka.

“Under these conditions, it is not possible for us to play the Test championship… This is not even close to what is being followed in some other parts of the world where cricket is being played during this time,” he added.