7 More Players of National Cricket Team Fall Victim to Corona Virus

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed coronavirus in seven more national cricket players.

According to a statement issued by the PCB, on Tuesday, the results of the COVID 19 test of seven players and one member of the team management came back positive. A total of 35 players and officials in the squad were tested on Monday in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar. Other players who tested positive include Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, and Wahab Riaz. Massager Ming Ali, who was part of the team management, tested positive.

Those who have not yet been tested include Shoaib Malik, Cliff Deacon, and Waqar Younis. The statement said that like Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, the seven players and the team in the squad did not show any signs of Corona before the test.

The PCB Medical Panel is in constant touch with all these players and team massagers and all these members have been directed to go for self-isolation immediately which is also essential for the health and safety of them and their families. 

The Cricket Board also issued the next course of action according to which:

• Players and officials in the squad who have tested negative will gather in a biosecure environment in Lahore on June 24. The second corona testing of all these members will take place on June 25.
• Players and officials in the bio-secure environment of Lahore will also leave for Manchester on a chartered flight on June 28 if the tests taken on June 25 are negative.
• The ECB's medical panel will conduct the third COVID 19 testing of players and officials arriving in England on a chartered flight, within 24 hours of the Pakistan squad arriving in England.
• Players and officials who test negative on arrival in England will have to undergo a quarantine period in accordance with British government rules but will be able to practice and train in a biosecure environment during this time.
• The players and officials in the squad who have tested positive for corona will remain in self-isolation and will be closely monitored by the PCB's medical panel.
• All squad members who have tested positive for COVID 19 will be re-tested on time and if their 2 tests are negative in this situation, arrangements will be made to send them to England on a commercial flight.
• On arrival in the UK, they will be re-tested by the ECB's medical panel. In this case, after the report is negative, they will be included along with other members of the Pakistan squad present there.
• According to the SOPs of the series, the Pakistan cricket team will be tested at least 5 times before the first test.