Pakistan skipper, Babar Azam, has reportedly breached COVID-19 protocols. The youngster was seen breaching the Covid-19 protocols as he met with Director-General of Pakistan Cricket Board, Adnan Irshad, on Wednesday, whom he had gone to meet to resolve some issues related to his local club. As per The Express Tribune’s journalist Zaid Hassan, the Lahore-born was supposed to join the bio-security bubble on Thursday, March 18. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that one member of the squad that has been announced for the tour of South Africa tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. In a statement on its website, the board said that 35 tests were conducted on the players and staff that will be going to South Africa and everyone tested negative, apart from one player. They have not named the player. "A total of 35 tests were conducted on the South Africa-bound Pakistan men's national cricket team on Tuesday, 16 March. All squad members have tested negative, except for one player," PCB said in a statement.
The identity of the player is yet to be revealed, but the the member who has tested positive will undergo a repeat test on Thursday at his residence. If he tests negative, only then he will be eligible to travel to Lahore where he will remain in isolation for two more days before being retested," the statement further said. Earlier, Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler, said that Babar could end up becoming the next version of Sarfaraz Ahmed if he doesn’t step down from captaincy. Akhtar’s comments came after reports of Babar being unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over team selections have been doing the rounds.Inzamam-ul-Haq, another retired Pakistan cricketer, put forth the importance of Babar’s role in the team. “The important thing is that team is selected with consultation and I have already said many times that the most important person is the captain. “Chief selector and coach are not the most important people because they can’t go inside the ground and the captain who has to make the team fight inside he should have the confidence,” Inzamam had said. After being made the skipper in all three formats, Babar has shown his class. Under his leadership, Pakistan defeated South Africa in the Test and T20I series. He made his debut back in 2021 and has churned out over 8,000 runs for the national team. He already has 17 tons and 48 fifties to his name and he is regarded as one of the best batters in the current generation.
