PCB Agrees To Send A 25-Man Squad To England In July For The Bilateral Series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed to send a 25-man squad to England in July for the proposed bilateral series. It is finally some good news coming in as the entire cricketing action had come to a standstill since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘bio-secure’ tour would see the two teams play three Tests and as many T20Is, with the series opener scheduled in August. All the matches will be played behind closed doors, with no entry of fans allowed. This will certainly mark the return of global cricketing action after the havoc wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic.

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan confirmed the news on Wednesday after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave a presentation to them on Friday explaining the provisions that will be in place for the players.

PCB Agrees To Send A 25-Man Squad To England In July

“From a manageability point of view, it makes sense for us and the ECB that the whole squad travel as one, so you create a bubble if you like around those players for the whole of the time that they are in England,” Khan told Reuters.

Manchester and Southampton are expected to host the match as both venues have on-site hotels. The venues will also have testing centres and would be secured from any outside intervention whatsoever.

“They are planning to create bio-secure hotels, a sort of environment around the players in certain parts of the hotel to keep the players safe and away from the general public,” Khan revealed.

Pakistan Players Will Go In 14-Days Quarantine

Khan confirmed that the board is planning to send the team to England though they would need certain government advice and medical guidance before departing from Pakistan. The UK government had earlier given the clearance for the return of elite sports in the country June onwards. The English Premier League has also restarted player training ahead of a possible return to mainstream action in June.

It also has to be noted that Pakistan would need to arrive in England a month before the first match of the series takes place. They would then undergo a 14-day quarantine period before the team training can begin. PCB is set to send the T20 and Test squads together, and a total of 25 players will travel, keeping in mind the injury replacements that might be required.

Also Read: England Bowlers To Resume Individual Training This Week As ECB Plans Its Return After The COVID-19 Crisis