LONDON: Pakistani captain Babar Azam said on Wednesday, his party did not think of responding to their English tour even though the Coronavirus crisis had forced the host to choose a new squad for the next one-day series.
England named 18 parties were fully excited on Tuesday, with Ben Stokes who returned as captain instead of Eoin Morgan, after three of their players and four support staff, all of them had not been named, tested positive Covid-19 in Bristol on Monday.
Meanwhile, the rest of the British party involved in the ODI 2-0 series won over Sri Lanka, equipped with a third-washed match in Bristol on Sunday, forced to isolate himself.
That means they are ruled out from three odi against Pakistan too.
Azam, asked the first ODI in Cardiff on Thursday if Pakistan thought of leaving a tour that also included three Twenty20 Internationals, told video conferencing: “No, we didn’t think about it, it didn’t come into us, it didn’t come to us.
Mind At any time.
“PCB (Pakistani cricket board) and ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) have assured us that they will take care of the safety and health of all members of the troops.
“We must understand that this is an unprecedented Covid-19 era.
Then again I want to admit my players who spend time in bio-safe bubbles and we have prepared it.
We focus on cricket games and tomorrow.
Azam added:” Of course It’s just a disappointing news and we must understand that we will not get the ideal situation because of the Covid situation.
“Britain may be a world-year-old world champion, but Pakistan will fight an unknown series of opening teams in Sophia Gardens.” We know partial Great of them but there are some new faces in the squad, “said Azam.” We sat with analysts, we did it, we have seen footy’s footy footage and we can take any players playing for English lightly.
“I know some of them playing in the T20 explosion (British district) and which we don’t know we have examined their appearance.
We expect good cricket tomorrow.” Azam goes into this series as top-ranked batsman in the world in ODIS.
“I have been with a good touch and I know my responsibilities,” he said.