PCB to conduct Covid-19 tests again after dubious results, Hafeez reprimanded

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to conduct tests of ten players and one team official, who returned positive results, on Friday, June 26.

Following the announcement on Monday that three players had tested positive for novel coronavirus (Covid-19), the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday confirmed that a further seven players and a player support personnel from a total of 35 have tested positive for the virus.

The PCB had organised these 35 tests in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday.

Players who have tested positive:

Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf.

Player Support Personnel, who has tested positive:

Malang Ali (masseur)

Hafeez reprimanded for sharing report publicly

According to sources, the decision was taken after veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez tested negative, who had been diagnosed with Covid-19, during a subsequent test at a local laboratory in Lahore.

Although the PCB is not happy with the fact that Hafeez released the result of his second Covid-19 test, without informing the board officials first.

“PCB CEO Wasim Khan had a telephonic conversation with Hafeez, where he expressed his displeasure over publically sharing result of Covid-19 test. He also said that this act has raised questions marks over Pakistan’s testing system,” a source told Cricket Pakistan.

“In response, Hafeez said that he was in a stressful situation, after testing positive, which is why he went for another test. He wanted to make sure that he and his family were safe. He also got in touch with a PCB official, after testing negative, but did not get a swift response which is why he shared that result on social media,” the source added.  

The players and player support personnel, who have tested negative, have gathered in a bio-secure environment in Lahore, today, and will undergo second round of testing on June 25.

Meanwhile, the players who have tested positive will appear for another test in their respective cities.

Pakistan will depart for England on June 28 from Lahore to Manchester through a chartered flight.

According to the tentative schedule, the first Test will be played on August 5 in Manchester. Pakistan will play the remaining two games in Southampton, starting on August 13 and 21 respectively.

Pakistan will also play three Twenty20 internationals in Southampton on August 29, 31 and September 2.