Raja slams England team for not following Covid prevention rules

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has criticised England for not taking precautions after a major Covid-19 outbreak forced them to name a new squad ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan.

Three players and four support staff tested positive on Tuesday.

“England players have tested positive, which is not a good thing,” Raja said in a video on his YouTube channel. “But it can bring negativity into the dressing room and you need to reboot your combination.”

According to him, calling Ben Stokes back from New Zealand was a desperate move. He criticised the England squad for not following the Covid protocols.

“They felt like they were in jail and were not ready to follow protocols like wearing masks and social distancing, and this desperation has resulted in their team grabbing negative headlines,” he said.

Raja believes Pakistan would have an edge in the forthcoming ODI series. “Pakistan team has gotten advantage and they should benefit from the negativity in England’s dressing room,” he said.