News Desk
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has begun a study of as many as 10 players tested positive for COVID-19 since landing in New Zealand.
The inquiry was initiated after it emerged that some players from one or two teams in the ongoing domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy complained of coughing, fever and sneezing—symptoms of a potential infection with COVID-19—only a few days before they left for a tour of New Zealand.
“These players were deemed to have viral infections due to changing weather and later also tested negative in the COVID-19 tests carried out in Lahore by the board.
“But they tested positive after reaching Christchurch where the entire squad is now quarantined at a managed facility after the 10 positive tests, a PCB source said.
He said some of the players who had complained of fever while playing the domestic tournament in Pakistan turned out to be positive when they reached Christchurch.
The interesting thing is that the bulk of the players belonged to two provincial teams, and some of them even played in one of the Pakistan Super League franchises.
In fact, the source reported that a foreign player who played for a particular franchise also undergoes 8 days of isolation after having returned positive results when he arrived in his home country.
Pakistan’s discarded pacemaker, Sohail Tanvir, who played in the PSL, also tested positive for the Lankan Premier League after reaching Colombo.
While he returned negative later, his Kandy franchise and medical officers advised him to return home as he was taking a risk by resuming to play cricket in the league.
Tanvir also reported that he was back.
The PCB is being blamed for sending a squad that included 35 players from senior Pakistan and A squads and about 18 officials on a commercial flight to New Zealand.
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman had to miss the tour after he complained of fever, flu and other symptoms associated with COVID-19 while staying at the team hotel in Lahore as the squad prepared to leave for Auckland.
Fakhar was withdrawn from the squad and put into isolation but his second test came negative.