PAK BOWLER IRFAN SETTLES DEATH GOSSIP England tour is big risk, warns Pakistan medico

Islamabad, June 22: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan had to confirm that rumours of his death spreading on social media were “fake news” on Sunday.

The 38-year-old said false reports saying he had been in a car accident were “baseless”.

“Some social media outlets have been spreading a baseless fake news about my death in a car accident,” Irfan wrote on Twitter.

“This has disturbed my family & friends beyond words, and I have been receiving endless calls on this. Please refrain from such things. There was no accident and we are well,” he added.

There may have been confusion after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the death of deaf cricketer Mohammad Irfan after a stomach infection. — AFP

Islamabad, June 22: A Pakistan Cricket Board medical official says the upcoming tour of England during the Coronavirus pandemic is a big risk but one that is necessary to help the country get through the crisis.

During the pandemic it’s (the tour) a big risk, said the PCB’s director of medical and sports sciences Dr. Sohail Saleem on Monday.

“We haven’t experienced (playing during a pandemic), but for both teams it will be a first. The pandemic means risk, but consider them (players) as ... providing people entertainment,” Saleem said.

Saleem said that he was encouraged by football resuming in Europe where the Bundesliga in Germany and the Premier League in England have staged games played stadiums.

“There’s no crowd in football and there will be no spectators at cricket stadiums too,” he added.

The anxiety level of people sitting at home is rising, but cricket can be seen as lowering these.

The Pakistan team is scheduled to leave for England on Sunday to play three test matches in empty and three Twenty20s in August and September. The PCB is sending an extended squad of 29 players in case replacements are needed for anyone testing positive during the tour.

All 29 players will be tested twice for Covid-19 before they board the flight to London. Once the team lands in the UK, Saleem said, “the players will go through another testing session before they start training in a bio-secured environment.”

“After every 5-7 days we will be carrying out testing of the players in the UK, Saleem said. Three days before the start of the first test another round of testing of all the players will be done and if a player tests positive, he will be quarantined. We have set the protocol with the ECB,” he added. — AP

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Pakistan Cricket Board’s director of medical and sports sciences