Zimbabwe head coach and former Indian cricketer Lalchand Rajput has withdrawn from his team’s tour to Pakistan.

The African team reached Pakistan earlier this morning but the team’s head coach didn’t accompany the squad even after getting clearance from Pakistan’s foreign office. Rajput was part of Zimbabwe’s training camp ahead of the tour. 

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) released a statement confirming that Embassy of India in Harare had written to them asking that Rajput be exempted from visiting Pakistan. The Embassy of Pakistan in Harare had issued a visa to Rajput.

With Rajput unavailable, Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed bowling coach Douglas Hondo to take charge of the team.

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The tourists will undergo Covid-19 tests upon reaching their hotel and will begin the seven-day quarantine from today.

The three One-Day Internationals in Rawalpindi to be played on 30 October, 1 and 3 November will begin at 12pm local time, while the first ball in the three Twenty20 Internationals, to be played at Gaddafi Stadium on 7, 8 and 10 November, will be bowled at 3.30pm.