Pakistan team is currently in England for their first assignment post coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan will kick-off their tour with the three-match Test series scheduled to begin from August 05 at the Old Trafford in Manchester. After the Test series, Pakistan will play three-match T20Is on the English soil.
All matches will be played behind closed doors, and players of both sides will stay in a bio-secure environment, following all the required protocols.
But before the series takes place, the Pakistan team, on Friday, celebrated Eid al-Adha in England and their photos went viral on social media. Pakistan Cricket Board’s official Twitter handle shared several photos of their players celebrating the occasion.
Pakistan cricket team is celebrating #EidAlAdha today! pic.twitter.com/i6fNxSd0km
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 31, 2020
However, as soon as fans saw the pictures, they couldn’t control their emotions and decided to bash players for showing irresponsibility as none of the players or staff were seen wearing masks or maintaining social distance amid the pandemic.
Here is how netizens reacted:
Why they are so blatantly violating the social distancing by staying away 1 metres.
Will @ECB_cricket take note and put entire Pakistan team on 10 days compulsory self isolation please @ICC @nassercricket— Muntazir e Mahdi (@TigerZindaHay) July 31, 2020
Why they are not following SOP’s?
— 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐠 (@AhmedGBaig) July 31, 2020
SOCIAL DISTANCING BOYS!!!
Make us even more happy on Eid with a great win, Pakistan is proud of you.— Observer603 (@Observer603) July 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/Kjeldahl_/status/1289146844954546177
No mask ?
No distancing?— Bareezè (@baynooma) July 31, 2020
No masks…
No social distancing….
Well done guys 🖕🖕😤👏…
— Aghil Palakkal (@aghi_0007) August 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/RightWinger___/status/1289145442320568320
Where is social distancing??
— Saleem Khan18 (@SaleemMarri6) August 1, 2020
No social distancing
What message u guys r delivering ?
Kindly take notice such content should not b shared@ImranKhanPTI @TheRealPCB— Usman Tariq (@drusmann090) August 1, 2020
The pandemic has disrupted the lives of numerous individuals across the globe, along with affecting the economic situation. In fact, due to the outbreak of a deadly virus, several religious traditions and festivals are being celebrated with limitations due to a surge in coronavirus cases across the world.
Earlier, PCB have revealed a list of 20 players who were shortlisted and will be considered for the Test series against England.
Former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has not played Test cricket for Pakistan since January 2019, has been named in the list along with veteran pacer Wahab Riaz, who took an indefinite break from red-ball cricket in 2019. Apart from them, opener Fawad Alam, who hasn’t played a single Test since 2009, was also picked in the squad.
Here is the squad:
Azhar Ali (c), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah.
