Former Pakistan Batsman Taufeeq Umar Contracts COVID-19
Updated - 24 May 2020, 05:27 PM
The Coronavirus has been spreading intensely ever since it emerged last year in December in China. The virus outbreak, which has caused over 20000 cases and 1000 fatalities in Pakistan, has also reached the sporting world. The cricketing fraternity received a piece of upsetting news as former Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar tested positive for COVID-19.
Cricket Pakistan website’s reports have claimed that Taufeeq Umar is in self-isolation at his home given that he has contracted the deadly virus. Overall, Umar is the fourth cricketer to get affected by the disease and the second from Pakistan. In the developing stage of the infection in the nation, first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfaraz lost his life because of Coronavirus in Peshawar at 50 years of age.
Taufeeq Umar’s Pakistan career in brief:
One of the most promising talents to emerge out of Pakistan, Taufeeq Umar was part of the men in green squad in the 2003 World Cup. In the 2000s era, the 38-year old opened the innings for Pakistan on more occasions than one. In 44 Test matches, Umar managed 2963 runs at a healthy average of 38.
Having scored a Test century on debut, the left-handed batsman went on to compile 14 in total in red-ball cricket for Pakistan. His best score of 236 came against Sri Lanka in 2011. Taufeeq Umar’s limited-overs career wasn’t that impressive though, having averaged only 24 in 22 ODIs. It was in 2014 that he played his last Test.
The Lahore-born player hung up his boots from competitive cricket two years later. He later participated in the now-dissolved Master’s Champions League in the UAE. Meanwhile, the two other cricketers to have been affected due to COVID-19 are Scotland’s Majid Haq and South African Solo Nqweni. Majid Haq ended up recovering successfully in March.
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