PCB Doctor says Pakistan will be touring England despite the 'big risk' that is involved

Pakistan's tour of England in midst of COVID-19 pandemic is a "big risk" but one that is necessary to help country battle crisis, a top medical official associated with its cricket board said on Monday. official, Dr. Sohail Saleem, is Pakistan Cricket Board's director of medicine and sports sciences.

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'It is a big risk': PCB Doctor

"During this pandemic it is a big risk but this tour is also necessary if cricket is to resume w. tour is also important as it will also help country get through COVID-19 crisis," said Saleem during a media interaction. "We will get results in 24 hours time and if player tests positive he will be stopped from going to England and sent into isolation until he recovers properly," Saleem said.

He confirmed that first COVID-19 tests had been performed on players and officials going to England on June 28 in four different cities. Pakistan squad of 29 players and 14 officials is due to take an 80-seater chartered flight to London where y will spend 14 days in quarantine at an isolated base camp in eir Worcestershire or Derbyshire before moving to Manchester.

"This is first time both teams will be playing in such isolated conditions before empty stadiums and after following so many SOPs, but end result is necessary for sport, which is y will provide entertainment to people." "If a player tests positive during tour he will be kept in isolation for seven days and if his second test is negative he can join team again, but if he tests positive a second time, he will be sent back home," he explained."It's a good sign that some sports activities have resumed because at end of day, all of us have to fight through this pandemic".re is crowd in football and re will be spectators at cricket stadiums too," he said.

 
" anxiety level of people sitting at home is rising, but cricket can be seen as lowering se," he furr added.

However, what really puts Pakistani team in a spot of bor is that three players of ir 29-member squad including likes of emerging batsman Haider Ali, pacer Haris Rauf and leg-spinner Shadab Khan have been tested positive for COVID-19. This was officially confirmed on  Monday.

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Pakistan tour of England 2020

1992 World Cup winners will be touring England for a three-match Test series that will be followed by a three-match T20I series from July 30 to September 2, 2020. Meanwhile, PCB also anunced that spin legend Mushtaq Ahmed has been named as bowling coach for upcoming tour while former captain as well as batting great Younis Khan has been appointed as batting coach.

PCB had said that taking into account COVID-19 outlook in Pakistan in coming weeks, operational and logistical matters as well observation that keeping players in a safe and secure environment would remain a challenge, which is why PCB decided t to hold a training camp prior to ir departure for England. Instead, PCB asked ECB to prepare an itinerary which allows Pakistan team to reach London early in June. squad was originally scheduled to land in UK on July 6.

(With PTI Inputs)

(Im Courtesy: AP)