Published 22:06 IST, June 19th 2020
Pakistan squad to be tested twice for COVID-19 before leaving for England tour on June 28
Ahead of the England tour in July, the Pakistan team will be tested twice for the Coronavirus within three days before they enter bio-secure bubble in the UK
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Ahead of the England tour in July, the Pakistan team will be tested twice for the Coronavirus within three days before they enter the bio-secure bubble in the UK. The first test will be taken on Monday and the second one on Wednesday before they board a charted flight to England on June 28. According to PTI sources, if a player tests positive, he will be restricted from travelling for the tour as international cricket eyes return after a brief halt due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The first test will be taken in players’ and officials’ respective cities and areas of residence. The players will assemble in Lahore on Wednesday and the Board has arranged for a bio-secure floor for them in a five-star hotel where they will stay in isolation before taking the chartered flight,” PTI quoted a source.
The PCB has also announced a set of reserve players in case a player from the main squad tests COVID positive. The national board is also expected to sign an MoU with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stating the terms and conditions for the tour which will last till September.
Aamir, Sohail out
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement on Thursday which said that Mohammad Amir has withdrawn so that he can attend the birth of his second child in August, while Haris Sohail will miss the tour because of family reasons. The statement further read that Pakistan will send 28 players and 14 player support personnel for three Tests and three T20Is to be played in August and September. The squad, as well as pre-series and series schedule, will be announced in due course.
Pakistan tour of England 2020
The 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, the PCB also announced that spin legend Mushtaq Ahmed has been named as the bowling coach for the upcoming tour while former captain as well as batting great Younis Khan has been appointed as the batting coach.
The PCB had said that taking into account the COVID-19 outlook in Pakistan in the coming weeks, the operational and logistical matters as well the observation that keeping players in a safe and secure environment would remain a challenge, which is why the PCB decided not to hold a training camp prior to their departure for England. Instead, the PCB asked ECB to prepare an itinerary which allows the Pakistan team to reach London early in June. The squad was originally scheduled to land in the UK on July 6.
(with inputs from agencies)
22:05 IST, June 19th 2020