Published 15:53 IST, July 6th 2020
Mashrafe Mortaza's woes continue after testing COVID-19 positive for the second time
Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who tested positive for coronavirus on June 20, has had to face the same result again even after 2 weeks.
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Former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza tested positive for coronavirus on June 20. The veteran all-rounder was reportedly unwell and he went into quarantine at his residence after being tested positive for the deadly virus. Mashrafe Mortaza himself announced the news and asked his fans to pray for his well-being. He also asked people to not drop their guard and rather follow the guidelines put forth by the government in the pandemic situation.
Mashrafe Mortaza tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time
However, contrary to expectations, Mashrafe Mortaza has tested positive for the coronavirus for the second time in two weeks according to CricFrenzy.
Besides Mashrafe Mortaza, his brother Morsalin Bin Mortaza couldn’t evade the wrath of COVID-19 as well. Both are currently staying at home. Recently, a number of Bangladesh cricketers have been infected by the virus. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Hossain Apu and former batsman Nafees Iqbal, elder brother of Tamim Iqbal, tested positive as well. However, both of them have managed to recover.
Mashrafe Mortaza has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. Mortaza gave away half of his national cricket team’s salary. The veteran all-rounder also auctioned off his bracelet, which was one of his prized possessions for as many as 18 years. Mashrafe Mortaza has also helped out some needy people with essentials. On top of that, Mashrafe Mortaza has been fulfilling his responsibilities, being an MP from the Narail constituency.
Mortaza last played for Bangladesh in the ODI series against Zimbabwe. Though he didn’t announce his retirement, he relinquished the captaincy duties. Tamim Iqbal was later appointed as the new skipper of the Bangladesh ODI team. Mashrafe Mortaza has arguably been one of the greatest captains to have played for Bangladesh. In 2015, he led the Tigers to the quarter-finals of the World Cup and then in 2017, he took them to the semis of the Champions Trophy.
Recently, a number of cricketers had tested positive for the deadly virus. Among them are big names like Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez. After Shahid Afridi was tested positive for COVID-19, he had taken to Twitter and wrote he has been unwell and that his body had been aching badly. Shahid Afridi then revealed that he has been tested positive, unfortunately. Shahid Afridi also asked everyone to wish for his speedy recovery.
On the other hand, Mohammad Hafeez was among the ten players from the national side who tested positive for COVID-19 recently. However, Mohammad Hafeez was not satisfied with the result as he underwent another test on a personal capacity, which returned negative. After undergoing the COVID-19 Test on a personal capacity, PCB's CEO Wasim Khan spoke to Mohammad Hafeez and let him know about the board's displeasure towards his actions. However, in the second test conducted by the PCB, his result came out negative and he boarded the flight to England to take part in England vs Pakistan 2020 series which also marks the return of international cricket after the hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Beyond cricket, the likes of World No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic and Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov also couldn't escape coronavirus after playing a tournament in Serbia. Novak Djokovic was heavily criticised for organising the event in presence of fans without any safety measures. Novak Djokovic and his wife initially tested positive, but after a week, have reportedly recovered and are still quarantining at home.
IMAGE COURTESY: AP
Updated 15:53 IST, July 6th 2020