Lahore: A 31-member Pakistan contingent, including 20 players, reached England on Sunday as six out of their 10 coronavirus-infected cricketers were held back despite returning negative when tested the second time.
The Pakistan cricketers and 11 support staff members arrived on a chartered flight from Lahore and will be transported to Worcestershire.
Coming out one by one, wearing masks, the Pakistani players and support staff members were seen maintaining distance. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made arrangements for their testing before they go on a 14-day isolation period, during which they will be allowed to train.
The side will move to Derbyshire on July 13 to prepare for their three-Test and three T20 international series against the home side in August-September. Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz have tested negative in their second tests but they would be sent to England only after two of their successive tests return negative.
The six players will undergo a third round of testing at some stage next week. Players who have again tested positive are Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Kashif Bhatti and Imran Khan, along with masseur Malang Ali. Fast bowler Musa Khan and wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir, who were among the reserve players reached here along with the team.
The players who reached here on Sunday are Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, and Yasir Shah. Zafar Gohar, the left-arm spinner who played an ODI in 2015, will join the side from England and will only be involved in pre-match preparations.
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has planned to attack England’s ‘fragile top-order’ during the upcoming Test series, insisting that the batting line-up of the hosts looks vulnerable after Alastair Cook’s retirement.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and as many Twenty20 matches against England.
The first Test will begin at Lord’s on July 30. “Looking at their batting, their top-order has been fragile for some time since Alastair Cook retired. They have tried a lot of combinations lately and might be looking a bit more settled, but they haven’t been really confident with it. So there is something for us in it to look at,” Ali said before departing for England in a chartered flight earlier in the day. Since Cook’s retirement in September 2018, England have used six different combinations at the top-order in their 18 Tests.
Only Rory Burns seems to have secured his place. The Pakistan skipper, however, is in awe of England bowling attack in their own conditions led by the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer.
“Their bowling attack is brilliant in their own conditions and there is no doubt about it,” Azhar said.
“Other than Jofra Archer we have faced all of them – Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and even Wood was there, but we have still won against them.” An inexperienced fast bowling bowling line-up is looked upon as Pakistan’s weak link but Ali backed the likes of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi to excel in English conditions. “In terms of number of games, of course England have tons of experience in their bowling. But we have the skills: they (our bowlers) are young and have a lot to offer. “They can give trouble to any team in the world. In a very short time, they have achieved a lot and that is a good sign,” he said.
“You can’t buy experience immediately, and for that you obviously have to play more, but then we have a very experienced coaching staff with Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed. Their expertise and knowledge can be utilised and they will be helping them.” Soon after landing in Manchester, the entire 20-member Pakistan will undergo a 14-day quarantine period. All six games of the tour will be played behind closed doors in a ‘bio-secure environment’.
‘England have bowling experience but we have
the skills’
Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali backed his young pace attack to trouble the England batsmen when they lock horns in a gruelling series later this year.
The two teams will play three Tests and as many T20Is after the completion of England’s three-match Test series against West Indies which starts July 8.
Pakistan’s pace battery comprises of Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, both whom have never played Test cricket in England.
‘In terms of number of games, of course England have tons of experience in their bowling,’ Azhar was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. “But we have the skills: they (our bowlers) are young and have a lot to offer. (Agencies)
