PCB CEO Wasim Khan
A total of ten Pakistan players tested positive from the first round of coronavirus testing conducted by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), yet the chief executive of the board, Wasim Khan is confident of the England tour happening this summer.
PCB conducted a total of 35 tests on Monday in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. While, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, seven other cricketers including Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz tested positive on the following day, besides a player support personnel, Malang Ali (masseur).
The Pakistan cricket squad will leave for England on June 28 to play three Tests and three T20Is. They will be quarantined in Derbyshire for a mandatory period of 14 days, although they will be allowed to practice. However, only 19 out of the total 29 players selected for the tour to England are readily available for the moment before the second round of testing which will be conducted in Lahore on June 25.
But Wasim is confident about the England tour going as per the schedule.
He said, "The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June. 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."
Earlier in the day, Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men's cricket, expressed his concern over the news of Pakistan players testing positive for coronavirus but did insist that the series in England is not in doubt.
"It is a concern," Giles said. "Obviously I'm most concerned about those players who tested positive and their welfare.
"At the moment, I don't think the series is in doubt. We are far enough away from the start of the Test series to not worry about that too much at the moment. There are some more test results coming out later from the rest of the group so we will see what those say, but we are still hopefully that the Pakistan team will be arriving in the country fairly soon.
