Senior hitter Mohammad Hafeez says many Pakistani players contracted coronavirus in New Zealand because they were traveling on commercial flights where health security measures were lax in economy class.
Ten players tested positive for the virus upon arrival in Christchurch after a nearly 24-hour journey and this prompted New Zealand health authorities to ensure that the Pakistan team spent 14 days in quarantine, something Hafeez did not liked in his interview with a television channel.
“I think the players contracted the virus on the commercial flight as some of them had to travel economy class where social distancing precautions were lax and our players were exposed,” Hafeez said after returning home from New Zealand.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was criticized for sending players on a commercial flight to Auckland, said it was not profitable to send the entire 53-member contingent on a chartered flight due to the length of the trip.
Previously, Pakistani players had traveled to England in the summer on a chartered flight due to the Covid-19 situation, but the costs were borne by the England Cricket Board. PCB CEO Wasim Khan has admitted that since there were only a certain number of seats available in the business and first class sections, some players and officials from Pakistan A team had to travel in the economy section to New Zealand. .
Hafeez regretted the treatment of Pakistani players and officials in New Zealand. “It is true that we are supposed to be ambassadors for the country, but I don’t think we have been treated like that in New Zealand. The attitude they had with us was not correct and they treated us like prisoners ”.
Hafeez said the two weeks they spent in quarantine were like spending in jail for the players and officials. “It was not easy for us to prepare for the T20 games after spending time in jail and we had it a few days before the first game.”
The senior hitter was Pakistan’s standout player in the T20 series with two good hits, including 99 in the second game at Hamilton. Hafeez, 40, is not a centrally recruited PCB player.
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