NZ’s Seifert tests positive for COVID-19, Williamson and others moved to Maldives
Zimbabwe 52-4 in reply to Pakistan’s imposing 510-8 declared
New Zealand batsman Tim Seifert will remain in India after testing positive for COVID-19 but skipper Kane Williamson and four others have been (Reuters) - Zimbabwe were teetering on 52-4 at the close on the second day of the second test after Pakistan declared their first innings on 510 for eight with Abid Ali scoring a maiden double century at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The home team, one down in the twotest series after losing by an innings and 116 runs last week, are still 458 runs behind with a mammoth task ahead if they are to avoid the follow-on.
Pakistan’s 36-year-old debutant bowler Tabish Khan took a wicket in his first over and the top order continued to tumble cheaply as Zimbabwe lost their first four wickets inside the opening 25 overs of their reply.
Regis Chakabva, moved up the order to No. 3, provided the only real resistance for the hosts and will resume on Sunday on 28 moved to the Maldives pending their departure for England, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday.
International cricketers who were part not out, along with Tendai Chisoro.
Abid scored 215 not out as Pakistan picked up where they left off after being 268-4 overnight.
But his knock was overshadowed by No. 9 Nauman Ali, who bludgeoned his way to the brink of a first century but was dramatically stumped three runs short of the milestone.
Nauman was 93 not out at tea and smashed four runs off the first ball of the evening session before swinging at a wide one and losing his balance momentarily to allow Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Chakabva to whip off the bails.
Pakistan declared immediately to put Zimbabwe into bat for almost all of the last session and the bowlers turned the screw for the touring side. of the Indian Premier League started heading back home on Wednesday after Tuesday’s abrupt suspension of the Twenty20 competition, a direct consequence of a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
New Zealand players in the squad for a test tour of England, which includes the inaugural World Test Championship final against India from June 18-22, are scheduled to go straight to Britain after the conclusion of the IPL.
Williamson, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner, along with team physiotherapist Tommy Simsek, initially decided to remain in New Delhi after they were unable to secure an exemption to travel to Britain until May 11.
“The decision for this group to transfer to the Maldives was taken after advice that their entry into the UK, initially thought to be about May 11, was likely to be delayed a further week,” NZC said in a statement.
New Zealand trainer Chris Donaldson, who previously planned to return home, has now opted to remain with the England-bound players and is also in the Maldives. Seifert, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, was due to return to New Zealand on a charter flight with the IPL’s Kiwi cohort but the 26-year-old failed both his pre-departure PCR tests. NZC said he is experiencing moderate COVID-19 symptoms.
“Once Seifert has undergone treatment and the statutory period of isolation and has tested negative for COVID-19, he will be transferred back to New Zealand where he will undergo the mandatory 14-day period of managed isolation,” NZC added.
Seifert is waiting to be moved to Chennai, where he will undergo treatment in the same hospital where Chennai Super Kings’ Australian batting coach Mike Hussey has been staying after contracting COVID-19.