Six Pakistan players tested negative for COVID in second round to fly to England on Friday

Six Pakistan players who tested negative for coronavirus in the second round of screenings are all set to fly to England on Friday, where they will join their teammates. Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Wahab Riaz, who were found to be COVID-19 positive ahead of the team's departure last week, tested negative in the latest round of testing conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The first batch of Pakistan cricketers left for England on Saturday after their results returned negative. 

READ | Aakash Chopra Mocks Brett Lee For Dismissing Him Before Sachin Tendulkar's 241 In 2004

Six players to fly to England on Friday

"The second group of six Pakistan cricketers will depart for Manchester on Friday, 3 July, by the national carrier. The players who will travel by the Pakistan International Airlines are: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz," the PCB said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

READ | Sreesanth Claims Afridi's Catch 'tougher' Than Misbah-ul-Haq's In World T20 2007 Final

'Pakistani squad members tested negative': ECB

All the 20 players and 11 staff of the Pakistani squad who are currently in England for a bilateral series starting next month have been tested negative for COVID-19. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that all the 20 players and 11 staff in the Pakistan squad have tested negative for COVID-19 since arriving on Sunday, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Tuesday. Pakistan is in a two-week quarantine in Worcester for a test and Twenty20 series in August.

READ | Cricket Australia To Not Use Dukes Ball In First-class Cricket From 2020-21 Season

All of England’s players and management also were negative in their third round of tests on Monday. They are in Southampton preparing for the first test next week against the West Indies. Meanwhile, six Pakistan players picked for the tour who tested positive last week and had to stay home, have tested negative for a second time in three days and have been cleared to join the squad in England. It was earlier reported that the six players including Hafeez who have tested negative will undergo a third round of testing in the upcoming week and on returning negative, PCB will make arrangements for their departure for England series. 

Pakistan tour of England 2020

Pakistan is visiting England for a three-match Test series that will be followed by a three-match One Day International series from July 30 to September 2, 2020. The series will be played behind closed doors. The Test team will be led by Azhar Ali while the top-ranked T20I batsman Babar Azam will be captaining the Men In Green in the shortest format. 

READ | Wood Believes Stokes Will Be 'brilliant' Captain, Recalls Playing Under Him In U-19 Days

Image credits: AP