Pakistan cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Haider Ali test positive for Coronavirus ahead of England tour

In a huge blow to Pakistan team ahead of their schedule travel to England, three of their players have been tested positive for the Coronavirus. Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Haider Ali all three were part of the 29-member squad that was supposed to tour UK later this week. Along with them, Usman Shinwari and Imad Wasim underwent COVID-19 tests on Sunday in Rawalpindi as the mandatory process before embarking on the tour.

They have been tested negative while the rest of the three players have been advised to go into self-isolation quickly. Interestingly, none of them showed any Coronavirus symptoms before they took the test. Meanwhile, Imad and Shinwari, having cleared the test, will now travel to Lahore on June 24.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the news of Shadab, Rauf and Haider being tested positive for the COVID-19 in its press release. The board’s medical panel is in contact with them and is guiding them.

Other selected players tested on Monday

The other 24 players barring Shoaib Malik who will join the team in next month also underwent testing at their respective centres Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday. Even the team officials except Waqar Younis and Cliffe Deacon were tested at one of the said centres and all the results are expected to arrive on Tuesday. The PCB is yet to make a decision on the players tested positive for the virus.

However, one of the PCB officials had stated earlier on Monday that if a particular player is tested positive, then he will not be entirely ruled out of the England tour. He will have to go into quarantine and after serving the required period in isolation, if tested negative, he can always the join the team in the UK. He had also confirmed that the ECB will make special arrangements for the player in that case.

“After undergoing quarantine period that particular cricketer will have to be tested twice within a few days to determine his status. If both of his tests turn negative, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will make special arrangements to fly him to UK where after yet another testing he will have to spend another fifteen days in quarantine,” he had said while speaking to The News.

Meanwhile, the players who will clear the first phase of testing will assemble in Lahore where the second phase of testing will take place on June 25. The ones who will clear both the tests will only fly to Manchester on June 28 where Pakistan team will quarantine and train in a bio-secure environment.