PSL 2021: Three more players test positive for coronavirus

• PSL organising committee to hold virtual meeting today with team managements and owners.
• Players will now be kept in isolation for 10 days.
• PSL says three players were not part of teams that featured in Wednesday’s PSL double-header.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday that three more players playing of two different Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams have tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed three more players from two different teams have tested positive for COVID-19 and they will now self-isolate for 10 days,” said a statement issued today.

The press release said that the three players were not part of the teams that featured in Wednesday’s PSL double-header.

Read more: PCB bans franchise owners' dugout, say sources

Considering that the players were not part of the four teams that played the two games on Wednesday, it is highly likely that the players were from the Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars squad.

However, the PCB has not clarified the matter.

The PSL said that the players were tested for the coronavirus in the afternoon after they had shown symptoms.

The statement added that the league’s organising committee will hold a virtual meeting on the new cases with the team owners and management today and an update will be provided after the meeting.

'300 people in the bio-secure bubble'

On Tuesday, the PSL's clash between Islamabad United and the Quetta Gladiators went ahead as per schedule after a player tested positive for the virus.

"We conducted 244 PCR tests, in addition to the rapid tests conducted," he said. "Of the 244 tests, three have come back positive. Two foreign players and one support staff have tested positive," PCB's Media Director Sami Burni had said after the players' report returned positive.

Burni said that all three players had been isolated from the rest, adding that they were being quarantined on a different floor on the hotel.

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The PCB media director shared that Fawad Ahmed, who tested positive for the virus a day earlier, will undergo "a repeat test" today

He said that all other people who are in the bio-secure bubble will be retested for the virus on Thursday.

"At the moment, more than 300 people are in the bubble," he said. "These include players, officials, support staff, franchise owners and security officials," he added, disclosing that rapid tests of the broadcast crew and the staff of the National Stadium had been conducted.

The PCB media director was speaking a day after Islamabad United player Fawad Ahmed tested positive for the coronavirus. 

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In a statement, the PCB had clarified that the coronavirus test results of players from both squads had come back negative.

"This is being done to ensure players from both sides get time to prepare for the game," it had said.