Haider Ali tests COVID-19 negative for second time; six other players join Pakistan squad in England

In what has come as a sigh of relief for cricket fans and good news for Pakistan cricket, 19-year-old Haider Ali took to Twitter on Sunday that he has tested negative for COVID-19 for the second time. Ali was among the first batch of Pakistan cricketers - alongside Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan - to test positive for the virus, but the youngster confirmed yesterday that he had now successfully tested negative for the virus for the second time. 

"Alhumdulillah tested negative again. Overwhelmed for your immense love and prayers. You people are the real strength. I hope i will come up to your expectations," Ali tweeted on Sunday.

Ten Pakistan players, who were a part of the 29-member squad to tour England, tested positive for the Covid-19 virus in the first round of testing, but six of those ten tested negative, however, within days of their positive test. Ali wasn’t one of them, as he, along with Kashif Bhatti, Haris Rauf and Imran Khan, tested positive once again in the tests conducted on June 27, but the last 10 days have been kind for the youngster, who has now returned two negative results. According to the criteria set by the PCB, a player needs to return two negative results to be eligible to fly to England, but it remains to be seen if and when Ali will make his way to the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, a set of six players, including Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Fakhr Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Hasnain, all of who tested positive for the virus in the first round of tests, joined the team in Worcester on Sunday after they, too, had successfully returned two negative results. This essentially means that Pakistan have now 26 players at the United Kingdom, as in the last week, a 20-member squad, comprising two reserve players, flew to the United Kingdom ahead of their Test and T20I series against England that is set to start next month.