ugc_banner

Hafeez, Wahab and 5 more Pakistan players test positive for COVID-19 ahead of England tour

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 23, 2020, 07:02 PM IST
main img
Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed that another seven players have tested positive for COVID-19 after three players on Monday, taking the total number of positive cases in the Pakistan squad to 10. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed that another seven players have tested positive for COVID-19 after three players on Monday, taking the total number of positive cases in the Pakistan squad to 10. 

Apart from seven players, a player support personnel was also tested positive from a total of 35 Tests. The PCB had organized the 35 tests in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday as Pakistan continues to gear up for the Test series against England. 

Players who have tested positive are: Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan and Wahab Riaz

Players who have tested negative are: Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, and Yasir Shah

Player Support Personnel, who has tested positive, is: Malang Ali (masseur)

Player Support Personnel who have tested negative are: Mansoor Rana (manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach), Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Butt (team analyst), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Lt Col (retd) Usman Riffat (security manager) and Raza Kitchlew (media and digital content manager).

Not tested to date: Shoaib Malik, Cliffe Deacon and Waqar Younis

Earlier on Monday, the PCB announced that Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan tested positive with Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari’s results coming as negative.

The PCB medical panel is in touch with the concerned players and the masseur and they have been instructed to follow strict quarantine at their homes. 

What next for Pakistan?

The players and staff, who have tested negative, will gather in a bio-secure environment in Lahore on June 24 in a bid to undergo another round of testing on June 25. Those who test negative on June 25 will depart for Manchester, the United Kingdom on a chartered flight. They will be tested again after arriving in the UK by ECB medical panel. Those who test negative there will observe quarantine as per the UK government’s guidelines but will be allowed to train and practice in the bio-secure facility.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “The recent positive tests of some of the fittest athletes, who had not shown any symptoms, clearly reflect the danger this virus possesses. As such, and on behalf of the PCB, I once again request the public to strictly adhere to all safety precautions as advised and recommended by the federal and provincial governments to ensure their health and safety as well as of their dear and near ones.

“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.

“The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June. 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

“In the meantime, Misbah-ul-Haq is reviewing the training schedule in England and is firming up plans for reserve players to be tested as a backup.”