Wahab, Sammy isolated after COVID protocols breach

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi received a blow ahead of their HBL PSL 2021 opener against Lahore Qalandars to be held on Sunday (today) when their skipper Wahab Riaz and head coach Darren Sammy broke Covid protocols and were sent into isolation immediately.

According to sources, the two met their franchise owner Javed Afridi during a practice session on Friday.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal are the two likely candidates for taking the responsibility as stand-in skipper.

“Very soon we will announce the stand-in captain,” a Zalmi source told this correspondent.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the wee hours on Saturday issued a press release which said a player and an official of one of the teams taking part in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021 had been placed in a three-day quarantine after they came into contact with a person outside the biosecure bubble on Friday.

“The two individuals will now require two negative tests during the three-day quarantine period before they can re-enter the bio-secure bubble in accordance with the re-entry protocols,” the press release said.

“The PCB is disappointed that two members of one of the sides showed carelessness and violated the bio-secure bubble protocols by coming into a contact with a person who was not part of the bubble,” the Board said.

“The health and safety of all individuals associated with HBL Pakistan Super League 6 is of paramount importance to the PCB.

“All players, player support personnel, match officials and family members are once again reminded to diligently follow the PCB Covid-19 Protocols as the PCB will not allow anyone to affect the integrity and credibility of the tournament,” the PCB said.

Separately, it said, a player from another franchise team who had shown symptoms and was in isolation, had tested positive. “He will now remain in quarantine for 10 days and will require two negative tests in order to integrate again with the side in accordance with the applicable re-entry protocols,” it said.

“The PCB will not make any further comment on this matter,” the release said.

Sources said that it is a player from Lahore Qalandars whose identity could not be ascertained till the filing of the report.