The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a High-Performance Camp for 27 players earlier this month. The camp that has been hosted at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre and National Stadium in Karachi – faced a blow when a player tested positive for the COVID-19 in the second round of testing, just before the camp, that begins on October 10.
While the identity of the player hasn’t been revealed, she has been removed from the bio-secure bubble and currently placed in self-isolation, according to the PCB on Friday. Along with her, another player and a player support personnel have also been removed from the bio-secure bubble as a precautionary measure after they both have shown symptoms of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection.
“The three squad members’ progress will be regularly monitored by the PCB’s medical panel,” the board shared in a statement.
Meanwhile, they will be allowed in the camp after their recovery alongside negative tests according to the PCB Domestic COVID-19 SOPs. On the other hand, the High-Performance Camp has been hosted to help the players regain their match fitness before the 2020-21 domestic season. They last played during the T20 World Cup in Australia in March before COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire world into a standstill.
Update on the second Covid-19 tests of women cricketers
More: https://t.co/me74pM6Xc9 pic.twitter.com/2JxI4XAOXU
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) October 9, 2020
However, Pakistan could manage to win only one game in the tournament. And, with the postponement of the ICC Cricket World Cup for one year, they have enough time to prepare for the 2022 World Cup qualifying event after the ICC decided to divide the points equally of their unplayed series against India.
Meanwhile, players are quite excited about the camp and the Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof said pcb.com.pk, “There is a lot of excitement amongst the players to get back together after seven, eight months. Everyone is looking forward to making the most of this camp by working on their skills and fitness. It is going to be a bit difficult to carry the rhythm from where we left but the aim should be to work hard and achieve it. We are looking forward to working with David Hemp, the newly appointed head coach, and try to get the best out of ourselves.”
She further said, “As a captain, my aim is to take this team into the top four and this team has that potential. But, we need to work hard to achieve and fully utilise it, which is our focus over the next year so we can prepare ourselves for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.”
Players invited for the PCB High-Performance Camp:
Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz and Syeda Aroob Shah
