Kashif Bhatti, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali and Imran Khan have tested positive for coronavirus for a second time and remain in quarantine
Monday 29 June 2020 11:27, UK
Twenty Pakistan players and 11 support staff have arrived in England ahead of this summer's tour.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Friday that Pakistan would travel as planned on a chartered fight ahead of three Tests and as many T20 internationals in August and September.
The Pakistan Cricket Board revealed the identity of the players on Saturday after a further round of coronavirus testing and the group landed in Manchester on Sunday to begin preparations.
Ten players in Pakistan's initial 29-man squad tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week, but six of that group have since tested negative - Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Hasnain.
Those players did not board the plane on Sunday, though, as having tested positive initially they must now receive two negative tests in order to travel - their third tests will take place some time next week.
Kashif Bhatti, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali and Imran Khan, as well team masseur Malang Ali, have tested positive for coronavirus for a second time and remain in quarantine.
Fast bowler Musa Khan and Pakistan Under-19 captain and wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir, who were not named in Pakistan's initial 29-man squad, travelled in the 20-man group having tested negative.
Zafar Gohar, a left-arm spinner who played an ODI against England in Sharjah in 2015, will join the side from England but will only be involved in pre-match preparations.
Physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon and bowling coach Waqar Younis will join the side directly from South Africa and Australia, respectively, while all-rounder Shoaib Malik is expected to travel around July 24 after spending time with his family having not seen them for five months.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan said: "With the Test series being played first in August, [head coach] Misbah [ul-Haq] is satisfied with the group of players that are traveling on Sunday as the focus will be on red-ball preparation. Misbah understands that flexibility and adaptability will be needed with his training and practice schedule while operating under various guidelines.
"I want to reassure the players and the official left behind that the PCB will provide the best support and look after them during the quarantine period.
"It needs to be remembered that these players were asymptomatic, which means their chances of regaining complete fitness are higher and brighter than most. As soon as these players test negative twice through the PCB testing process they will be flown to England to join the squad."
Pakistan will now quarantine and train at Worcestershire's Blackfinch New Road for 14 days, before a planned move to Derbyshire's Incora County Ground on July 13 to begin internal warm-up matches.
The plan is then to move to Derbyshire's Incora County Ground on July 13 to begin internal warm-up matches ahead of the first Test - the ECB says a schedule for the international fixtures will be announced in due course.
Pakistan players to travel to England on Sunday: Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Yasir Shah
