Covid-19 has started casting a doubtful shadow once again ahead of the start of the Pakistan Super League as three players and five support staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, tournament director Salman Naseer confirmed.
According to the SoPs decided ahead of the start of the league, the players will be allowed to join their teams for training sessions from January 24, at the end of their isolation periods, if they produce two negative test results.
"PCB remains committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all participants so that they can play and perform to the best of their abilities," Naseer was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
"In the environment that we presently live in, there will be positive cases, but we have robust health and safety plans to ensure the event is played and concluded in the 27 January to 27 February window,” he added.
To make sure that the tournament is completed in the designated window and it functions smoothly, a total of 17 rounds of Covid-19 tests would be conducted during the competition. Also, before the start of the tournament on January 27, there is going to be a mandatory three-day quarantine, followed by four days of training in Karachi.
Also, during the quarantine there would be regular testing and those with two negative RT-PCR results will only be allowed to enter the bubble. And from the start of the tournament to the end, there would be mandatorily an RT-PCR test every second day for each player.
To make sure that the tournament is not halted even as a large number of players from the team test positive, the PCB has allowed each franchise 20 players on their rosters and also given them an additional pool of reserve players to pick from.