Pakistan Confident Of Touring England Despite Ten Players Testing Positive For Covid-19

Pakistan are confident that the tour of England is on track even as seven more players from the 29-man touring party tested positive for Covid-19. Prior to the seven players testing positive for the deadly virus, three others – Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf – were also tested positive.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently tested the players for the virus and revealed the reports of the tests earlier this week. On Tuesday, the board confirmed that Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, and Imran Khan have also tested positive for Covid-19. Malang Ali (masseur), a member of the team’s support staff, in also on the list.

But despite only 19 players currently fit for travel, PCB is confident that the tour of England would go ahead. According to a report in The News, PCB CEO Wasim Khan had contacted top England Cricket Board (ECB) officials and sought their support.

The ECB officials told Wasim that they were confident that the tour could go on despite the flurry of positive tests. Pakistan have four reserve players — Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz – for the tour. The quartet will now undergo testing.

Pakistan’s head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq will also pick more reserve players in order to bolster the squad in case more players test positive for the virus. In addition, PCB will ask the ten players, who have tested positive, to undergo retests with the hope that they might came out negative this time.

“The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June,” said Wasim Khan after confirming that ten players have tested positive for coronavirus.

“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. 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,” he added.

Pakistan are scheduled to leave for England on a chartered plane soon. They will play three Tests and as many T20Is in England. The series will be Pakistan’s first international series since the pandemic halted all the action in March. Meanwhile, England are gearing up to take on West Indies in a three-match Test series next month.

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