BAN vs AFG: Afghanistan squad members in isolation after contracting COVID-19

As per the latest developments, several members of Afghanistan team, including multiple players, have contracted COVID-19. Bangladesh is scheduled to host the Afghan team in three ODIs and a couple of T20Is, starting from February 23. However, dark clouds are now looming over the fate of the series. It has been learnt that the Afghanistan squad, currently training in Sylhet, have been asked to go into isolation for 48 hours, which ends on Wednesday (February 16).

Notably, the Afghan side has been in Sylhet on its own since February 12. Even though the tour is yet to start technically, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has extended support to the touring party. For the unversed, the visiting side will come under the BCB’s care officially on February 19.

BCB extend support to Afghanistan team

”Look now they are not under our protocol considering the series will start from February 19 but now whatever support they will want now we will provide that,” a BCB official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. ”If the symptoms are mild then they will be isolation and if that is not the case we will have to transfer them to hospital but at the moment they are looking after their own well being,” he added.

Meanwhile, those, who contracted the virus, would undergo another test in five-seven days. In case, they return with negative results, they can start training along with other team members. The visiting side is scheduled to fly to Chattogram on February 19 for the ODI series, which gets underway on February 23. The two sides will then travel to Dhaka for two T20Is on March 3 and 5.

ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Shahid Kamal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmat Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Yamin Ahmadzai, Farid Ahmad Malik

Travelling reserves: Qais Ahmad, Salim Safi

T20I squad: Mohammad Nabi (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Azmat Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nijat Masood, Farid Ahmad Malik