Pakistan Super League 7 - Covid watch

[Saj]

At least three franchises out of six have reported five new COVID positive cases, including players and officials, ahead of the Pakistan Super League beginning next week.

The six franchises have started assembling in Karachi with the Pakistan Cricket Board launching the seventh edition of the league on January 27 at the National Stadium in Karachi.

On Thursday, sources said that three franchises had reported five positive cases of players and officials.

"These are the first positive cases in Karachi among the teams," one source said.

Quetta Gladiators franchise has already lost three overseas signings including Shermon Hetmayer, James Faulkner and Luke Woods for their first match as the trio tested positive and have gone into isolation before they even boarded the flight to Karachi.

An official of the Pakistan board made it clear that they were prepared for all situations because of the rising Covid-19 cases in the country and the league was still on schedule.

"We have clear contingency plans because of the Covid-19 situation around the globe. Even if a franchise is without seven to eight players because of any cases their matches will still go on schedule and the players will go into isolation at their team hotel, he said.

He said learning to live with COVID was a reality now in cricket and despite positive cases in different cricket playing nations matches were going on or being postponed or rescheduled by a few days.

He pointed out that even the ongoing ICC U-19 World Cup in the West Indies had been hit by Covid positive cases but the tournament was continuing.

"All boards have drawn up contingency plans as we have so we are confident that the PSL will be completed on schedule," he said.

The last two PSL editions had to be stopped and rescheduled because of Covid-19 cases in Karachi.

All the team players and officials will start checking into the team hotel and bio secure bubble from Thursday night.

 

[Savak]

The PCB has no other window available during the year to hold the PSL. By hook or crook, they have to complete the PSL

 

[MenInG]

PCB COO:

In the pre-testing phase, two players and two team officials have been tested positive for COVID-19, including 40 employees of the hotel, said the COO, adding that the employees are isolated.

 

[MenInG]

Franchise players and player support personnel continue to check-in at the designated hotel after testing negative in pre-arrival testing

As per latest results received, in over 250 tests conducted since Thursday, three players and five player support staff have tested positive and have been isolated, Director HBL PSL 2022 Salman Naseer

Players and support staff having completed isolation and received two negative tests will start training from 24 January, Salman Naseer

PCB as a pre-cautionary measure had started pre-emptive testing of hotel and PCB staff from 14 January, hotel and other support staff that tested positive were released and are now isolating in their homes, Salman Naseer

PCB remains committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all participants so that they can play and perform to the best of their abilities, says Salman Naseer

In the environment that we presently live in, there will be positive cases but we have robust health and safety plans to ensure the event is played and concluded in the 27 January to 27 February window, says Salman Naseer

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board has pulled all stops to ensure the seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League goes ahead according to plan.

If it doesn’t, its fate will be nothing other than a cancellation.

And with the seemingly uncontrollable nature of the raging wave of the coronavirus in the country, the PCB has prepared itself for virtually every scenario that can possibly emerge during the PSL.

The final — set to be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore — in any case, has to be played on February 27, exactly a month after the opening game at the National Stadium here.

That’s the only window the PCB has. Pakistan have a busy international calendar this year, with the likes of Australia, England and New Zealand set to tour and the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia during October.

“We are working around three mottos; the show must go on, Har haal main cricket and Hum tou khelengay,” PCB Chief Operating Officer and PSL tournament director Salman Naseer told a small gathering of reporters including Dawn here on Friday. To meet its target of holding the tournament as per schedule, the PCB is also prepared to compromise the restriction for franchises of fielding four foreign players in the playing eleven.

“Even if that number goes down to one or zero due to Covid cases, we’ll still go ahead,” said Salman, with PCB later announcing on Friday that three players and five support staff had tested positive among 250 tests conducted during pre-arrival testing.

The brand value of the PSL, Salman said, did not depend too much on the foreign players. “Local players are our stars and the 200 per cent increase in PSL’s brand value shows that,” he said.

It has already been decided that franchises will need to have at least 13 players available for matches to go ahead.

In a scenario where the players at the teams’ disposal are less than 13, they will be allowed to pick from a pool of 25 players who went unpicked in the PSL Players Draft and Supplementary Draft earlier.

Similarly, production and broadcast teams have also been directed by the PCB to create their own reserve pool.

“There can be situations where important production personnel go down due to the virus,” Salman said. “To ensure production quality isn’t affected, we’ve asked them to have a reserve pool as well.”

The broadcasting and production crew, however, won’t be living in a bio-secure bubble as strict as the one in which the players and support staff will be kept.

The PCB has booked a full hotel for the players, support staff, security personnel and certain officials. Salman said interaction between teams will not be allowed while individuals living in the bubble have been given strict directions regarding physical contact indoors.

In open air, the players are allowed to be in physical contact but have been told to exercise caution where possible.

When the league moves from Karachi to Lahore after the last match here on February 8, they teams and other personnel will transported in chartered flights staying in the bubble created for them at the start of the tournament.

The PCB is also prepared for a situation where there is a virus outbreak despite all these measures.

“If there is an outbreak, the tournament will come to a pause for seven days,” said Salman. “After that the bubbles will be reset and we’ll do double headers to meet our February 27 deadline.”

The PCB COO said individuals who end up committing minor and major breaches in the bio-secure bubble will be penalised.

Even high profile players, who add value to the PSL brand won’t be spared and the penalties would range from fines to match bans to expulsion from the tournament.

To protect players mentally and to ensure their welfare in such a strictly managed environment, Salman said, there are arrangements of indoor games, music and other activities in the hotels as well.

While there will be doctors available on each floor, there will also be a separate medical team to which players can look up to mental and physical concerns.

“We also have some hospitals on board in case players are required to visit them. The hospital managements will ensure bio-secure bubble environment is maintained,” said Salman.

The last edition of the PSL had to be organised over two legs after breaches in the Covid bubble in Karachi by some members of a certain franchise side.

While the mishap resulted in financial loss for the PCB, it was also a reality check for the board about its capability to hold a tournament of the PSL’s magnitude in the pandemic times. This year, the national cricket governing body will be tested again.

“Last year the restrictions weren’t as strict as they are this time and the transition in and out of the bubbles will be smoother. When the teams checked into the hotels yesterday, they appreciated the smooth process, and you know they don’t appreciate the PCB for many things,” the official quipped.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2022

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Omicron is raging in Pakistan

 

[MenInG]

Omicron is raging in Pakistan

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

According to reports:

Five foreign players and the family members of Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed have been tested positive for COVID-19, sources said Thursday which means that the Gladiators have suffered a huge blow as they are likely to play the first game of the campaign without their full-strength squad.

According to sources, the wife and mother of the Gladiators captain were tested positive for the virus.

The board has also reduced the number of fit players to 12 from 13, which was initially proposed, to play a game.

Moreover, for the first time, the ground staff has also been included in the bubble as they will stay at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre, which is located in the premises of the National Stadium.

 

[MenInG]

FYI

Pakistan reports it’s second highest daily increase in Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours with 7,586 new cases

Positivity nationwide was 13% for the last 24 hours

 

[MenInG]

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s Medical Advisory Panel has put together robust Health and Safety Protocols for all participants of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022, which will be played in Karachi and Lahore from 27 January to 27 February.

The Health and Safety Protocols document has been designed to ensure health and safety of all participants as well as to provide them safe and secure environment to prepare, play and perform in the PCB’s marquee event.

Salient features of the Health and Safety Protocols are:

Testing

• The three-day room isolation commenced on 20 January. Participants will now be allowed to enter the Managed Event Environment and integrate with their sides only following two negative tests

• In the event period from 27 January to 7 February, all participants will undergo four PCR tests

• After being tested upon arrival in Lahore, all participants will undergo seven PCR tests from 10-27 February

• There will be mandatory seven-day isolation for any participant who tests positive. On day seven, the participant will undergo a Rapid Antigen Test and will be allowed to re-integrate with the side if he tests negative. In the scenario of a positive result, the participant will isolate for another three days before re-integrating with the side without requesting an exit test

• For a player or player support staff to enter or re-enter the Managed Event Environment, three-day isolation is mandatory and will require two negative tests before re-integrating with the side

Hotel

• Each side is allotted rooms on separate floors of the hotel and maximum possible efforts has been made to avoid cross-interaction between teams at the hotel

• During the mandatory quarantine period at the hotel, housekeeping staff will not be permitted to enter the guest rooms for servicing. Additional towels, bed linen, water, food, etc. will be placed outside individual rooms by hotel staff wearing a surgical mask who shall ring the doorbell after placing such items and leave. Members should open the door and collect the items a minute after the hotel staff has left

• After the quarantine period, rooms may be serviced by dedicated housekeeping staff while ensuring that the guest is not inside their room

• Each side has been allocated dedicated common rooms and players/player support personnel are not allowed to use other team’s common room

• Delivery of food from outside through an approved delivery service is allowed. The delivery, however, will be received by the designated staff members, who will sanitise the packages and place at a designated spot on the team floor. Members, after consuming the food, will be required to wash their hands for 20 seconds

 

[Saj]

Not getting good vibes about this.

I hope it's not the case but I see PSL 7 finishing with just Pakistani players taking part.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

If the PSL gets postponed due to Covid and the BPL doesn’t, that’ll be pretty embarrassing for the PCB to say the least.

 

[zacattakk]

If the PSL gets postponed due to Covid and the BPL doesn’t, that’ll be pretty embarrassing for the PCB to say the least.

I wouldnt see it as an embarrassment. Covid is here to stay for the foreseeable future with outbreaks likely to occur in different places. PSL isnt the only one to be affected. The BBL was running smoothly until it was hit real hard by Covid. They improvised and kept the show running. Looks like the PSL will try to do the same with the new covid contingency plan.

 

[zoeyfactor]

It's raging globally so Pakistan is not a special case. US has way more positive results now but life has to go on. This is the new norm which we have to life by.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

I wouldnt see it as an embarrassment. Covid is here to stay for the foreseeable future with outbreaks likely to occur in different places. PSL isnt the only one to be affected. The BBL was running smoothly until it was hit real hard by Covid. They improvised and kept the show running. Looks like the PSL will try to do the same with the new covid contingency plan.

My post wasn’t about the players being infected in the PSL.

The PSL should go ahead and be completed without interruption, but it’ll be embarrassing if we see PCB postponing the PSL, especially when other leagues aren’t even though they face the same problems.

It’ll also be interesting to see if some of the foreign players who were playing in the BBL, back out of the PSL, that’ll be double standards.

 

[pakistani pride]

It's raging globally so Pakistan is not a special case. US has way more positive results now but life has to go on. This is the new norm which we have to life by.

For some this is the hard part, they cant look any further and are obsessed with numbers / positive cases.

life indeed has to go on.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Imam-ul-Haq and Ammad Butt from the reserve pool of players were allowed to join Peshawar Zalmi as partial preplacement for Arshad Iqbal and Kamran Akmal, who had tested positive on 21 and 22 January, respectively

 

[moghul]

It's raging globally so Pakistan is not a special case. US has way more positive results now but life has to go on. This is the new norm which we have to life by.

Cases in USA are dropping sharply, particularly in the sates where omicron surge started early like NY and NJ. Things are looking much brighter now . But vast majority of the people here in NJ are vaccinated, not in Pakistan . I'm hoping covid situation will be much better in Pakistan by March

 

[pakistani pride]

Cases in USA are dropping sharply, particularly in the sates where omicron surge started early like NY and NJ. Things are looking much brighter now . But vast majority of the people here in NJ are vaccinated, not in Pakistan . I'm hoping covid situation will be much better in Pakistan by March

The situation is fine in Pakistan.

 

[Maher96]

It’s going to be a funny PSL with Covid cases in the rise.

Good they got a pool of players to select and add when and where required.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

From Karachi Kings media:

The Karachi Kings can neither confirm nor deny any COVID test results. That is the sole prerogative of the PCB. Thanks.

 

[MenInG]

From Karachi Kings media:

The Karachi Kings can neither confirm nor deny any COVID test results. That is the sole prerogative of the PCB. Thanks.

Seems to be based on media reports saying Wasim Akram has Covid:

According to reports, the former left-arm was part of the ongoing Legends League, which is being played in Oman.

He and another person, who were infected from the virus, have put themselves in isolation.

 

[MenInG]

Reports:

Peshawar Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz and batter Haider Ali have tested positive for coronavirus,

 

[Ryw]

I have seen somewhere Wasim Akram has tested positive for corona, geo also reporting the same, WTH everyone coming from that Oman legends league getting covid. Not good news.

 

[MenInG]

As per reports Hazatullah Zazai will miss the start of the Pakistan Super League after testing positive for coronavirus.

He becomes the fifth player of the franchises to get infected from the global pandemic. The left-hander will undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine.

 

[Saj]

Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 have now both tested negative.

Zazai is still testing positive in the latest tests.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This is going to happen. But I don't see the tournament being affected in any major way. Players will get COVID and recover fairly soon. What's important is that you don't allow players and management to mingle with random celebrities or people who are not a part of the bubble.

 

[pakistani pride]

This is going to happen. But I don't see the tournament being affected in any major way. Players will get COVID and recover fairly soon. What's important is that you don't allow players and management to mingle with random celebrities or people who are not a part of the bubble.

Recover, what do you mean by recover? The only way they know they have covid is cause they are testing million times per day.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Recover, what do you mean by recover? The only way they know they have covid is cause they are testing million times per day.

A million times per day? Which world are you living in?

I'm pretty sure they test players everyday. And with the presence of test kits the process is not that hard to forego. Literally anyone can do it.

 

[MenInG]

Well done to PCB for weathering the storm - tournament almost done, a few issues but COVID thankfully not the big talking point.

 

[Savak]

Well done to PCB for weathering the storm - tournament almost done, a few issues but COVID thankfully not the big talking point.

Its come at the cost of the foreign players leaving early because they were unhappy with the bio secure bubble strictness

 

[shamaan]

Its come at the cost of the foreign players leaving early because they were unhappy with the bio secure bubble strictness

I would rather that happen than a massive outbreak in which the tournament gets cancelled or postpone

 

[moghul]

Its come at the cost of the foreign players leaving early because they were unhappy with the bio secure bubble strictness

Making them happy and risk the cancellation of whole PSL, did we forget what happened last time ?

 

[zacattakk]

Making them happy and risk the cancellation of whole PSL, did we forget what happened last time ?

Exactly. The same foreigners that are unhappy with the strictness of the bubble would be the first ones to jump ship and abandon the tournament if there were a big outbreak. PCB played it safe and did the right thing of ensuring the event went ahead without any major covid issues.

 

[samiakh]

Heard the Danny Morrison and a bunch of Zalmi players are currently positive

 

[MenInG]

Heard the Danny Morrison and a bunch of Zalmi players are currently positive

Multan Sultans' star player Tim David has tested positive for Covid-19 before the Qualifier of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season seven against Lahore Qalandars

According to sources, the 25-year-old returned positive during routine PCR testing of all players part of the league. Sultans' management, however, has neither confirmed nor denied the news.

Earlier today, female commentator Urooj Mumtaz also tested positive for Covid-19 and the authorities immediately took Covid-19 tests of all the commentators and presenters part of the league and restricted them to their rooms till the evening.

It must be noted that New Zealand commentator Danny Morrison also tested positive for the virus last week while Peshawar Zalmi's three players, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir, Ben Cutting, and mentor Hashim Amla also became victims of the virus.

https://cricketpakistan.com.pk/en/news/detail/multan-sultans-tim-david-tests-positive-for-covid-19

 

[Saj]

From PCB:

Revision to Health and Safety Protocols for Playoffs:

In line with the prevalent NCOC regulations and the current Covid-19 positivity trend in the country, the HBL PSL 2022 Health and Safety Protocols have been modified.

One of the amendments is: Reduction in isolation period of asymptomatic cases from seven to five days. A negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) will be required to exit the isolation.

 

[MenInG]

Players coming back left, right and center - PCB seem helpless - COVID bubbles being made a mockery of. Not sure what is happening as we approach PSL finals.