COVID-19 pandemic will leave more people bankrupt than dead: Shoaib Akhtar

Lahore, April 1: Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar believes the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the entire world to a standstill, will leave more people bankrupt than dead.

In a tweet, Akhtar said: "This coronavirus pandemic is going to leave more people bankrupt than dead."

According to a latest United Nations trade report, the world economy will go into recession this year with a predicted loss of trillions of dollars of global income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, spelling serious trouble for developing countries with the likely exception of India and China.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging crisis since the Second World War as it represents a threat to everybody.

Earlier, Akhtar had urged people to help each other rising above religion and economic status.

"Request all my fans all across the globe. Coronavirus is a global crisis and we have to think as a global force, rise above religion. Lockdown is happening so that the virus does not spread. If you are doing interaction and meeting in places, it will not help," he had said in a YouTube video.

"If you are hoarding things, please think about the daily wage workers. Stores are empty. What is the guarantee that you will live after three months? Think about the daily wage worker, how will he feed his family? Think about people, time to be a human, not Hindu, Muslim. People will have to help each other, collect funds. Stop hoarding.

"Rich will still survive; how will the poor survive? Have faith. We are living like animals, live like humans. Try to be helpful, please stop storing stuff. It is the time we look after each other. No time to be divided, we have to live as humans," he added.

Coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city, has so far infected over 8,00,000 people and claiming over 42,000 lives.