Lahore
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to reconsider the current testing policy according to which the players who have tested positive must have two subsequent negative tests if they are to depart for the scheduled England tour in the coming months.
According to a news report published in ESPNcricinfo, the head of the PCB medical department Dr Sohail Saleem is consulting with a variety of sporting and medical experts to decide whether those players who did test positive could potentially leave for England after returning one negative test.
The 10 players and one support staff member — who tested positive for the virus earlier this week — will undergo testing again on Friday and if the board were to comply with their original policy, then the group would have a third test on June 29.
However, it is because of the third test that the board is in a dilemma as it would mean that they will miss the chartered flight arranged by the England and Wales Cricket Board on June 28. The new development comes in after senior all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez had said that he tested negative for the coronavirus on Wednesday — a day after the PCB had said he was among seven more players who had tested positive for the virus.
“After tested positive COVID-19 according to PCB testing report yesterday, as second opinion and for satisfaction I personally went to test it again along with my family, Hafeez had said. The board, however, has said that it will only count tests conducted with Shaukat Khanum hospital as the PCB officially acquired its testing services, therefore, Hafeez’s negative test, conducted at a different private lab, will not be considered.—APP
