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Gareth Copley / Getty Images
Pakistan’s head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq.
Pakistan’s head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, claims that the strict Covid-19 protocols in New Zealand have affected his team’s preparations for this month’s Twenty20 series against the Black Caps.
Since arriving in New Zealand last month, six players from Pakistan have tested positive. This has caused the entire 54-member team and support staff to be forced into controlled isolation and denied permission to train in groups.
Shortly after being in isolation, multiple team members were seen in the video surveillance footage mingling, sharing food and chatting with each other – a violation of the rules of managed isolation.
“I want to congratulate my players and the management team for their patience, sacrifices and the difficulties they have endured to ensure that they not only lead the safe resumption of international cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic from the series in England, but also treat to give their best every time they step on the pitch, ”Misbah said in a press release, released by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday.
RNZ
The Pakistan cricket team on tour is being closely watched after six of them tested positive for Covid-19.
“The best professional athletes require a certain environment to prepare to be able to perform at the minimum expected levels every time they represent their countries.”
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Misbah said the Pakistani contingent respects and understands New Zealand government procedures, but “there is no denying the fact that the implementation of certain regulations has affected our athletes, both mentally and physically before an international series.”
However, Misbah is hopeful that the team will come out of isolation “in the next day or two” and focus on the challenge of facing New Zealand in the upcoming Twenty20 and Test series.
The Twenty20 series kicks off in Auckland on December 18 and Pakistan has made two changes to their 18-member squad that shut out Zimbabwe 3-0 in Rawalpindi last month, bringing in all-rounder Talat Hussain and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in place of Zafar. Gohar and Rohail Nazir.
Pakistan also named a 16-man Shaheens squad for the four-day match against New Zealand, which will start in Whangarei on December 17. Nazir will lead the team.
Shaheens head coach Ijaz Ahmed echoed Misbah’s comments, saying the quarantine period in Christchurch was difficult. “But instead of reflecting on difficult times, we should now start to focus on thinking about playing and acting in international cricket because that’s what we came here for.”
The PCB said the Pakistani squads will depart for Queenstown on Tuesday after completing their 14-day isolation in Christchurch. Both team members will stay in separate hotels and train according to the requirements of their match. Shaheens’ team will depart for Whangarei in December. 14 and the Twenty20 team will move to Auckland in December. fifteen.
Twenty20 Template: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Musa Khan, Mohammad Rizwan , Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, and Wahab Riaz.
Shaheens team: Rohail Nazir (captain), Abid Ali, Amad Butt, Azhar Ali, Danish Aziz, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar and Zeeshan Malik.