Major blow to Peshawar Zalmi ahead of PSL final

ABU DHABI: Peshawar Zalmi’s campaign to the trophy hit a snag when Haider Ali and Umaid Asif were suspended from the Pakistan Super League ahead of the final for breaching bio-secure protocols.

Accoring to a PCB statement, the duo has admitted to charges of violating the health and safety protocols and will not be available against Multan Sultans today.

The PCB stated that they met people from outside their designated bio-secure bubble and also failed to maintain the prescribed social distancing.

The incident happened on Wednesday and the decision was made earlier today by the Tournament COVID-19 Management Panel comprising Barrister Salman Naseer (PCB, Chief Operating Officer) and Babar Hamid (Director – Commercial, and PSL 6 head).

“The two cricketers were found not to have interacted with any other squad members at any time after the incident and have been placed in room isolation,” it added.

Furthermore, Haider Ali has been withdrawn from the England and West Indies tours, respectively.

Pakistan Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim, in consultation with captain Babar Azam and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, has named Sohaib Maqsood as Haider Ali’s replacement for the two tours on which the Pakistan men’s national cricket team will play three ODIs and eight T20Is, apart from two Tests in Jamaica.

Sohaib has had a stellar Pakistan Super League 6, in which he has to date scored 363 runs in 11 matches with an average of 40.33 and strike-rate of just under 153.

He has represented Pakistan in 26 ODIs and 20 T20Is, with his last T20I appearance being against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2016.