Pakistan squad tests negative for COVID-19 after arriving in England

The news of 10 Pakistan players testing COVID-19 positive ahead of the England tour had stunned the entire cricket fraternity. However, six players including Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz later tested negative, giving a sense of relief to all fans.

Furthermore, the batch of six players tested negative for the second time in three days, making them clear to travel to England and join the Pakistan squad. In the much-anticipated series, Pakistan are slated to lock horns with England in three Tests and as many T20Is. The matches will be played without spectators and the players will be in a biosecure environment during the course of the series.

The tour will be a breakthrough for Pakistan Cricket as this will mark their resumption of cricket amid COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, 20 Pakistan cricketers and 12 officials, who were cleared to travel, were tested negative after arriving to England. The Pakistan squad was tested by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), yesterday, after their arrival in Worcestershire before the 14-day isolation period.

Upon their arrival in England, the Pakistan players and support staff were spotted wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance with each other.

Pakistan to their red-ball expeditions from August 5 in Manchester

However, according to sources, spinner Zafar Gohar and Physiotherapist Cliff Deacon are still awaiting the results of their coronavirus tests. Gohar, the left-arm spinner who played an ODI in 2015, will join the side from England and will only participate in pre-match preparations. The negative tested Pakistan squad will now start training at the Worcestershire County Cricket Club, before moving to Derbyshire on July 13.

The players who reached England on Sunday were– Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, and Yasir Shah.

The Azhar Ali-led side will start their red-ball expeditions from August 5 in Manchester, followed by the remaining two games in Southampton, starting on August 13 and 21 respectively. Post the Test series, Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, will lock horns with England in three T20Is in Southampton on August 29, 31 and September 2.