PCB completes first phase of COVID-19 vaccination for Pakistan players and support staff

The Pakistan cricketers and support staff have gotten their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination. The development was put forth by the country’s cricket board on Friday, May 7. 57 male cricketers, and 26 coaches and officials have received the vaccine in the first phase of the vaccination drive.

The drive ended with eight players from the Test team, currently in Zimbabwe, getting their second dose of vaccination on Thursday, May 4 in Harare. Salman Naseer, the PCB chief operating officer thanked the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for prioritising the players.

“… we requested the NCOC for vaccines during the HBL Pakistan Super League 6. The vaccination drive started in Karachi and our first priority was to get the players and support staff involved in the tournament vaccinated,” PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer said in a statement.

“After the initial round of vaccination in Karachi, we focused on getting the remaining members of the men’s squad, who were not involved in the PSL 6, vaccinated before the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe.”

Pakistan women’s cricketers and others to get the vaccine in the second round

In the second phase, the national women’s cricketers, age group cricketers, the rest of the domestic men’s cricketers, and other support staff will get the vaccines.

“The PCB is fully behind the government’s vaccination drive and once again urges people across Pakistan to get vaccinated in order to ensure the health and safety of their own selves and their families,” he said.

“Our players both men and women and PCB management will continue to provide full support and backing to the NCOC vaccine awareness initiatives as they have done repeatedly since the outbreak of the pandemic last year,” Naseer added.

Currently, the Pakistan cricketers are busy taking part in the second Test against Zimbabwe that started on Friday at the Harare Sports Club. In the last one and half months, the Men in Green beat South Africa in the ODI and T20I series followed by a 2-1 win against Zimbabwe in the T20Is.

Babar Azam and Co also emerged victorious in the first Test in Harare. Starting June, the Pakistan cricketers would also be taking part in the remainder of the 2021 Pakistan Super League.