PSL 2021 final: Peshawar Zalmi's Haider Ali, Umaid Asif suspended for violating bio-secure bubble

ABU DHABI: In a major setback to Peshawar Zalmi, Haider Ali and Umaid Asif have been suspended from today’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6 final against Multan Sultans after they admitted to charges of violating the health and safety protocols.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the two met people from outside their designated bio-secure bubble and failed to maintain social distancing.

The cricket board said that the incident happened on Wednesday and the decision was made early Thursday morning by the tournament’s Covid-19 management panel.

“The two cricketers were found not to have interacted with any other squad members at any time after the incident and have been placed in room isolation,” the PCB statement said.

Furthermore, Haider Ali has been withdrawn from the England and West Indies tours, respectively.

Sohaib Maqsood has been named as his replacement for the two tours during which the Pakistan men’s national cricket team will play three ODIs and eight T20Is, apart from two Tests in Jamaica.

“Sohaib has had a stellar PSL season, in which he has to date scored 363 runs in 11 matches with an average of 40.33 and strike rate of just under 153. He has represented Pakistan in 26 ODIs and two T20Is, with his last T20I appearance being against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2016,” the PCB said.