Pakistan players suffering from lack of five-star hotel facilities in NZ

The Pakistan squad is suffering from lack of five-star hotel facilities since their arrival in New Zealand.

According to details, the Pakistan team is currently in managed isolation in Christchurch and are not allowed to train until approval from the local health ministry.

The players were hoping for better hospitality in New Zealand but that has not been the case, especially after the 10 positive Covid-19 cases in the squad.

According to sources, players, who are generally looked after really well on foreign tours, are confined in their rooms for the past 11 days. The bed sheets, in their rooms, have not been changed, which is done on a daily basis in normal circumstances. The rooms and attached washrooms have not been cleaned, either. The squad members leave used towels outside their rooms, in bags, which is replaced with new ones by the hotel staff. Players are also served food in disposable boxes instead of plates, after the positive coronavirus cases.

Sources within the team also opened up on the violation of SOPs, which was reported earlier, and claimed that the transgressions were not part of the original protocols shared with them. They added that all the players are now strictly following the rules and regulations.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also aware about the reservations of players and they shared the same with New Zealand Cricket as well but the later are bound by government rules and regulations and can’t do much about it.

Source also revealed that the PCB asked head coach Misbahul Haq and captain Babar Azam about the continuing the tour, amid the circumstances, but no feedback was taken from rest of the players. Although, most of the players are in favour of staying on the tour especially considering the fact that, now, only couple of days are left before their quarantine is over.

The team management is hopeful that the entire squad will clear their final Covid-19 test on Sunday and consequently begin their training sessions.

Pakistan’s senior side and Shaheens will move to Queenstown on December 8 but every player will need the local health ministry's approval before travelling. Also, both squads will stay in separate hotels.

On December 14, the Pakistan Shaheens will depart for Whangārei, while the following day the senior team will leave for Auckland.

It must be noted that the only four-day match between Shaheens and New Zealand A will now commence on December 17, while the first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played on December 18.