COVID-19: Fakhar & Hafeez among seven more Pakistan cricketers to test positive

Lahore, June 23: Following Mondays announcement that three players had tested positive for 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 Covid-19. The PCB had organised these 35 tests in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday.

Players who have tested positive are: Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan and Wahab Riaz.

The players who have tested negative are: Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah.

Player Support Personnel, who has tested positive, is: Malang Ali (masseur).

Player Support Personnel who have tested negative are: Mansoor Rana (manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach), Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Butt (team analyst), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Lt Col (retd) Usman Riffat (security manager) and Raza Kitchlew (media and digital content manager).

Not tested to date: Shoaib Malik, Cliffe Deacon and Waqar Younis.

On Monday, Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari had tested negative, while the results of Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan were positive.

Like Haider, Haris and Shadab none of the seven players and masseur had reported any prior symptoms of Covid-19 until they underwent first round of testing on Monday ahead of the side's departure for Manchester.

The PCB medical panel is already in contact with these players and the masseur, who have been instructed to observe strict quarantine at their homes for their and their families' wellbeing.

Next steps are:

The players and player support personnel, who have tested negative, will assemble in a bio-secure environment in Lahore on June 24 and will undergo second round of testing on June 25.

The players and player support personnel, who will test negative on June 25, will depart for Manchester on a chartered flight. Within 24 after hours after arriving in the UK, they will be tested by the ECB medical panel.

The players and player support personnel, who will test negative upon arrival in the UK, will observe a quarantine period as per the UK government's regulations, but will be allowed to train and practice in a bio-secure facility.

The players and player support personnel, who have tested positive in pre-departure testing, will observe self-isolation in their homes and remain under strict monitoring of the PCB medical panel.

As soon as they will complete their minimum quarantine period, they will undergo further testing and after their two tests are negative, they will be flown to England on a commercial airline.

Upon arrival in the UK, they will be tested again by the ECB medical panel and will be allowed to integrate with the Pakistan men's national squad after they test negative.

According to series SOPs, the Pakistan men's national cricket team will undergo, at least, five tests in the lead up to the first Test.