With moderate sickness, Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik were absent from Pakistan’s training session on Wednesday, a day before their semi-final against Australia in Dubai.
Covid-19 was tested on both players, and they both came back negative. They’ve passed frequent Covid-19 testing throughout the competition, including one only a few days ago, much like the rest of their team. The ICC encourages teams to test as much as possible, and this is part of their policy.
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The couple awoke on Wednesday morning with “mild illness and low temperature,” according to an official, and were first advised to postpone training. The recommendation was then amended to enable them to skip training entirely.
Pakistan is not unduly concerned about their participation in Thursday’s game at the present, and will reevaluate their situation in the morning.
Rizwan and Malik have been vital players in Pakistan’s undefeated journey to the semi-finals, and losing any of them would be the first serious setback they have faced in this tournament.
Rizwan is the third-highest run-getter among hitters left in the competition, trailing only his opening partner and skipper Babar Azam. He also plays a key role in Pakistan’s on-field leadership.
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