Government clearance is being sought by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for setting up a training camp for players to prepare for the tour of England in July amid the rising threat of COVID-19 in the country.
PCB officials are hoping to finalise a detailed plan to organise the training camp at the NCA even as the nation continues to hurt from the pandemic.
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“Different plans are being looked at but the most important thing is that the board will have to get the final nod from the government before it goes ahead with the tour to England or even the training camp," a board official close to the development was quoted as saying by PTI.
The other hurdle the training camp is facing is that the High Performance Centre in Lahore doesn't have the capacity to house more than 20 players at a time.
The team management, led by head coach and chief selector Misbah Ul Haq, wishes to have a group of 30-35 players arriving for the bio-secure camp and select about 25 of them for the trip to the UK. Once arrived, Misbah & company are planning not to allow players to meet anyone, including their family, for safety purposes, an idea which players are slightly reluctant about.
"Head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq understandably wants at least 25 players in the training camp and a list is being finalised but before it is announced the board wants to create a proper bio-secure environment at the high performance centre so that everyone is safe from COVID-19," the official said.
"Some players are reluctant to stay away for a three-week period in Lahore and then again for more than two months in the UK," another source said.
It is understood that the PCB has left it on players to decide whether they want to go to the UK or not in current circumstances and that there won't be any disciplinary action taken against them if they opt out.
Former skipper Javed Miandad has already expressed his reservations over the England tour, especially when more than 85,000 positive cases have been reported in Pakistan, whereas the count in the UK has crossed 2.70 lakh.
"I would be worried because the COVID-19 situation in the UK is worse than what it is in Pakistan. I just hope the board examines everything before sending the team to England because it would be a huge risk for the players," Miandad said.
(Inputs from PTI)
