With the uncertainly looms over Pakistan’s tour of England next month after ten players tested positive for Coronavirus, West Indies great Michael Holding has suggested the touring party to make the trip to the UK considering the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Asian country.
Pakistan cricket team is badly hit by the Coronavirus outbreak as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed 10 COVID-19 positive cases in the England-bound 29-member squad.
However, PCB and England board both are optimistic about the upcoming tour comprising three Tests and as many as T20Is starting at the end of July amid the growing Coronavirus cases in Pakistan camp.
Well, Holding also feels that Pakistan should go ahead with the England tour, saying the tourists would be better off touring England rather than staying there since the UK “are safer than whatever is happening in Pakistan right now”.
Holding said on his regular program 'Mikey - Holding Nothing Back' on YouTube: “Well, it would seem that England are safer than whatever is happening in Pakistan right now. As of the fourth of July England, is set to have relaxations in their restrictions.”
He further added, “They will be reducing the six feet apart rule that was being insisted on, bringing it down to three feet or one meter apart. Things are getting a little bit easier there. They (Pakistan team) are perhaps better off coming to England as opposed to staying in Pakistan because it is even worse there. Once they get to England, they will be in a bio-secure area.
Once they arrive, they will have to do their two weeks of quarantine as I am doing at the moment. They will be moved to a bio-secure area to make sure they are not infected. They should be ok from there on.”
The Windies great feels the tour will depends on the UK and ECB whether they should allow Pakistan team arriving on their shores given the current situation, adding: “If anyone should say that the tour should not go ahead, it should be the ECB or the people here in England because Pakistan is among the top countries in terms of positive tests.”
Holding signed off by saying, “I don't think there is much chance of getting it once they get here as we have seen with the West Indies team. They haven't had any problems since they arrived. If anyone had the virus it would have shown up by now. So, people that think the Pakistan team should not come here are probably thinking more about the England team rather than their own.”
(With PTI Inputs)
