LAHORE – Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf tested positive for Covid-19, a major blow to the national team ahead of the historic Test series against Australia.
Pakistan Cricket Board in a statement said that the right-armed bowler tested positive after undergoing rapid antigen test. The player has been sent into isolation.
The three-match Test series will kickstart on March 4 in Rawalpindi.
The development comes a day after Haris Rauf and other players of Lahore Qalandars joined their head coach Aqib Javed, who was isolating at a hotel room after contracting Covid-19, in their celebrations after winning maiden trophy of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
A video circulating on social media shows PSL 2022 champions handing over trophy to Javed at the doorstep of his room, while the head coach can be smiling all the time.
At that time neither the players nor Aqib Javed had put on their face masks and also breached SOPs related to social distance.
As the video went viral on social media, Twitter users slammed Lahore Qalandars for not following the Covid-19 SOPs while meeting an infected person.
“It was irresponsible & immature behavior from LQ management & the players to meet & celebrite (without wearing a mask) with aqib javed who was in isolation,” a Twitter user wrote.
It was irresponsible & immature behavior from LQ management & the players to meet & celebrite (without wearing a mask) with aqib javed who was in isolation.
— Aimen (@AimenTweets8) March 1, 2022
“It Was Really irresponsible from Lahore Camp. Yesterday They Met Aqib Javed Who Was in Isolation. And Today Haris Rauf Tested Positive Ahead Of Most Important Series,” another user wrote.
https://twitter.com/SajjadAhmad7786/status/1498622497868156932
It may be recalled that Aqib Javed went into Isolation after contracting the infection and he was not with his team during PSL7 playoffs and finale.
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