National T20 Cup: Imam ul Haq, Kamran Akmal among 9 players to break bio-bubble rules

The Pakistan Cricket Board put out a statement on Friday confirming that "some senior players and officials" had breached the bio-secure bubble during the National T20 Cup. The incident involved nine players and three officials, according to various media reports. According to the PCB, the people involved had spent various amounts of time in the non-bio-secure areas of the team's hotel on the night of October 15.

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Pakistan players breach bio-bubble at National T20 Cup

While the PCB did not mention any names, reports suggest that some high-profile names were involved in the scandal. It is believed that Pakistan National team players like Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Kamran Akmal, Yasir Shah, Muhammad Hafeez,  Usman Shinwari, Anwar Ali and Sohail Khan were among the people who violated the bio-secure bubble. Ex-Pakistani cricketers and current officials like Khurrum Manzoor, Rashid Khan, Basit Ali and Abdul Razzaq are also alleged to have been a part of this breach. 

The PCB’s director of High-Performance, Nadeem Khan expressed his disappointment at the players and said: "In doing so [breaching the bubble], they have put at risk the integrity of the tournament and, health and safety of their colleagues." He also made it very clear that the players should treat this as a first and last warning. 

“This is completely unacceptable to the PCB, and following meetings with the concerned players and their team officials, it has been agreed there will be zero-tolerance for future breaches and those violating the protocols will be expelled from the ongoing and future tournaments."

All players were urgently tested for coronavirus and have tested negative. They were also asked to bear the cost of the testing.

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International cricket to return to Pakistan soon?

Khan stressed how important it was to maintain security standards at a time when this could make all the difference between countries accepting tournaments in Pakistan or cancelling them. “I expect the players and officials to show responsibility as the world is watching and international cricket is standing at our doorsteps. Their irresponsible actions can put into jeopardy all the efforts of the PCB in organising and inviting sides during these challenging Covid-19 times,” Nadeem Khan said. 

With many major cricketing bodies incurring massive losses due to the COVID-19 lockdown, it is essential that countries are able to host major international games as soon as possible. The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that they are in talks with the PCB over a possible tour of Pakistan - their first since 2005. If it goes through, this will mark a historic moment in the return of international cricket to the country, and players breaching the bio-secure bubble will not make a good case for the PCB.

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Image Credits: PCB