The touring Pakistan squad in New Zealand has been denied the permission to train before the scheduled date of the start of their T20 series on December 18, in wake of many squad members testing positive for coronavirus. Had they not tested positive and not caught flouting the isolation norms, they could have got the permission to train while in isolation after spending three days in complete quarantine.
“I have very carefully considered this situation At this time, I continue to have ongoing concerns about the risk of cross-infection within the squad. There have been a number of active cases identified among the team. Public health considerations will continue to be foremost in our response to COVID-19, whether this involves individuals or teams. We appreciate the challenges that this decision will have for the touring team,” Dr Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's director-general of health, said on Friday, asserting that the tourists will not get any leeway for training.
Earlier, the team was served a ‘final warning’ for breaching the coronavirus containment protocols and the CEO of Pakistan Cricket Board, Waseem Khan, made all squad members aware of what the consequences will be of another breach of protocols. They can be as reprimanding as being sent back home without any cricket on the tour.
Overall, there are eight active cases of COVID-19 in the Pakistan team camp while two have been deemed ‘historic’ by the health officials in New Zealand.
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