Islamabad
Zimbabwe cricket team arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to play two limited-overs series against Pakistan starting from October 30.
Zimbabwe team, with 20 players, left on Monday morning from their home country – which has been in a secure bio-bubble camp for the past week for the final part of their preparations to minimise the risks of contracting coronavirus ahead of the trip.
The team will observe a five-day quarantine period at a local hotel after before they travel to Lahore for the three-match ODIs.
All the players will be tested for COVID-19 and those with negative results would be allowed to train at the Pindi Stadium.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has finalised all the arrangements for practice sessions within the bio-secure bubble at the stadium. The buses carrying the team to the stadium would be part of the bubble.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani and Managing Director Givemore Makoni have arrived in the country on Monday morning.
They were received at the Islamabad International Airport by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director International Zakir Khan.
The Narendra Modi government once again played dirty politics and stopped Zimbabwe head coach, an Indian national, from travelling to Pakistan to play two limited-overs series, it emerged on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), the Embassy of India in Harare wrote a letter to authorities in Zimbabwe asking that Lalchand Rajput be exempted from visiting Pakistan in accordance with the travel guidelines stipulated by the Government of India for its citizens.
Pakistan Embassy, however, has issued visa to Rajput along with other officials and players of the squad.
When the Zimbabwe cricket team landed in Islamabad earlier on Tuesday morning he was not among the players and officials arrived in the country. In absence of Rajput, Zimbabwe bowling coach Douglas Hondo will take charge of the team for the three one-day international matches and as many Twenty20 international games against Pakistan.—Agencies
