Over 190 players, officials refuse vaccination

KARACHI: Around 112 players, officials and organisers of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), including Autralian cricketers Chris Lynn, Ben Cutting and Pakistanis Sarfraz Ahmed, Umer Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Muhammad Amir, opted for Covid-19 vaccination on Thursday, the PCB and health officials told The News.

“As many as 112 players, officials and organizers of different PSL franchises were vaccinated against Covid-19 at a vaccination centre established at Movenpick Hotel Karachi,” an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told The News on Thursday.

Interestingly, some female family members of the owners of different PSL franchises were also vaccinated while many, including some foreign and Pakistan players and officials, refused to get vaccinated against the Covid-19.

One of the leading Pakistani cricket players said many players were not convinced and added that around 188 or 190 players and officials refused the vaccine jab

but 112, including cricketers Muhammad Amir, Sohail Tanvir, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umer Gul, Umpire Ahsan Raza and others, got the vaccine. The player claimed that at least four foreign players and officials, including Australian players Ben Cutting and Chirs Lynn and Jason Pilgrim, also got vaccinated and added that even some female family members of the PSL owners were also vaccinated.

Sindh health department officials said they had set up a vaccination center at the Movenpick Hotel where most of the teams and officials were staying.

“We told them that they would get the booster dose after 21 days and we would issue them a card, which would show at any adult vaccination center in the country after 21 days and they would get the second dose,” the official added. PSL postponed indefinitely as more players test positive, see details on page 16.