Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, 5 more Pakistan players test COVID-19 positive ahead of England tour

File Photo (Reuters)

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday (June 23) confirmed that 7 players including Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez have tested COVID-19 positive, just ahead of their England tour slated for July and August.

The seven players who have tested positive for the coronavirus are Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, and Mohammad Rizwan.

A player support personnel, Malang Ali, has also contracted the virus.

Earlier on Monday, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan had tested positive.

While senior player Shoaib Malik, head coach Waqar Younis and team physio Cliffe Deaconare are yet to be tested, players who have tested negative are Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari.

PCB in their official statement said the players and player support personnel, who have tested negative, will assemble in a bio-secure environment in Lahore on June 24 and will undergo a second round of testing on June 25.

Those who will test negative on June 25, will depart for Manchester on a chartered flight and within 24 hours after arriving in the UK, they will be tested by the ECB medical panel.

"The players and player support personnel who will test negative upon arrival in the UK, will observe a quarantine period as per the UK government’s regulations, but will be allowed to train and practice in a bio-secure facility," stated PCB.

The players and player support personnel, who have tested positive in pre-departure testing, will observe self-isolation in their homes and remain under strict monitoring of the PCB medical panel

The PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said, “The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on June 28. Fortunately, all the first-choice red-ball squad, barring Mohammad Rizwan, are negative, which means they can start training and practicing immediately  after they have been tested and given the all-clear when they arrive in England."

“In the meantime, Misbah-ul-Haq is reviewing the training schedule in England and is firming up plans for reserve players to be tested as a backup," Wasim Khan was quoted saying by PCB.