Mohammad Nawaz tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of New Zealand series

LAHORE – Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been quarantined as per the PCB Covid-19 Protocols.

He had tested positive during the second round of testing, which were administered upon arrival in Islamabad on Wednesday, said PCB in a statement.

All other squad members have tested negative and, as such, the national side will hold a training session as scheduled on Friday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

The New Zealand side will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday for three ODIs and five T20Is, which will be played from 17 September to 3 October.

Earlier this month, Pakistan cricket selectors named a 20-player squad for the three ICC Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals against New Zealand.

Uncapped wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris, fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Shahnawaz Dahani, and wrist-spinner Zahid Mahmood have been named in the squad, while middle-order batters Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah have been recalled, PCB said in a statement.

Iftikhar’s seventh and last ODI was against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, while Khushdil’s only ODI appearance was also in the tied match against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi.

Players who were part of the ODI series against England in July but have failed to retain their places are Haris Sohail, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sohaib Maqsood.

Pakistan ODI squad:

Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab)