A day after Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Haider Ali had tested positive for the coronavirus, seven more Pakistan cricketers including opening batsman Fakhar Zaman and fast bowler Wahab Riaz have also contracted the virus, taking the total number to 10.
“Following the announcement yesterday that three players had tested positive for Covid-19, the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday confirmed that a further seven players and a player support personnel from a total of 35 have tested positive for Covid-19,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Tuesday.
Besides Zaman and Riaz, other players to have tested positive are Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Rizwan. A player support personnel from a total of 35 has also been tested positive for COVID-19.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan said cricketers testing positive for the virus is a warning for the general public.
“It is not a great situation to be in and what it shows is these are 10 fit and young athletes…if it can happen to players it can happen to anyone,” Khan told to the media personnel.
The next step as mentioned by the PCB requires the players and player support personnel, who will test negative on June 25, will depart for Manchester. Within 24 hours after arriving in the UK, they will be tested by the ECB medical panel. The players and player support personnel, who will test negative upon arrival in the UK, will observe a quarantine period as per the UK government’s regulations but will be allowed to train and practice in a bio-secure facility.
The players and player support personnel, who have tested positive in pre-departure testing, will observe self-isolation in their homes and will undergo further testing. After their two tests are negative, they will be flown to England. Moreover, they will be tested again by the ECB medical panel upon their arrival in the UK.
After they test negative, they will be allowed to join the Pakistan men’s national squad.
