Shoaib Malik to join team on July 24 for England tour

Dunya News

Shoaib Malik to join team for England tour on July 24

LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Pakistan Cricket Board has given special dispensation to Shoaib Malik by allowing him to join the men’s national cricket team in England on 24 July after spending time with his immediate family, whom he has not seen for nearly five months.

Shoaib’s wife, Sania Mirza, and one-year-old son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, have been in India, while Shoaib has been in Sialkot since the imposition of international travel ban due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the travel ban, Shoaib was involved for Peshawar Zalmi in the HBL Pakistan Super League, which commenced on 20 February before it was suspended on 17 March.

The team will depart on 28 June for Manchester, before driving to Derbyshire for their 14-day quarantine period during which they will be allowed to train and practice. Apart from training and practicing, there will be intra-squad matches to compensate for the lack of practice matches due to non-availability of local teams as the ECB is yet to commence its domestic season.