Pak vs Aus: Australian manager to reach Islamabad ahead of squad

ISLAMABAD: Three members of the Australian cricket squad including manager Gavin Davey are due to arrive in Islamabad four days ahead of the team’s arrival to complete their quarantine period.

As all the three members are to reach Pakistan from other parts of the world, they are required to complete their quarantine before joining their team in Islamabad.

The Australian cricket team named on Tuesday will be arriving in Islamabad on February 27 on a historic tour. The team will take a chartered flight to Pakistan, having their quarantine period completed in Australia. After arrival in Islamabad, the squad members will be kept in one-day of isolation. 

The three members including the team manager would have completed their quarantine period before the Australian team’s arrival in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja is prepared to miss the arrival of his second child to fulfill a lifelong ambition of wearing the baggy green in his country of birth, reported Sydney Herald.

Usman was born in Islamabad before the family moved to Australia.

All of Australia’s biggest stars featured in a near full-strength 18-player squad for the three Tests, as Pat Cummins’ men aim to conquer the cricketing world in the post-Justin Langer era.

Players and agents have been briefed by CA’s head of high-performance Ben Oliver in recent days over the presidential level security measures Pakistan authorities are implementing in a bid to raise international confidence over playing cricket in the country.

Khawaja looks anxious to make an enormous personal sacrifice to play in Pakistan.

The veteran, who has been assured of opening in the first Test, and his wife Rachel are expecting the birth of their second child in late March or early April. The three Tests are due to finish on March 25 but he will almost certainly miss the birth if the baby is born earlier than expected.