A Covid-19 violation nearly cost Naseem Shah his involvement in PSL 2021 © Getty Images
After releasing Naseem Shah from the PSL only three days ago, the PCB has made a U-turn by allowing him to enter the team hotel in Lahore. The Quetta Gladiators fast bowler will be in isolation before flying to Abu Dhabi along with the contingent left behind by the first flights that carried 202 personnel on Thursday.
Shah had initially arrived at the tournament hotel in Lahore with a negative Covid-19 test, but there was a problem. As per the Covid-19 protocols for the remaining PSL matches, all those traveling through chartered flights from Karachi and Lahore were directed to assemble at the team hotels on May 24 with negative reports from PCR tests taken not more than 48 hours prior.
However, Shah presented a PCR report from a test that was conducted on May 18. So, upon the recommendation of the independent medical advisory panel for the PSL, the PCB released him. At the time, Babar Hamid, the director and commercial head of PSL 6, said the decision had been taken been taken with a heavy heart.
But now, after a meeting between the PCB and the PSL franchises, Shah has been offered a path back to the PSL. All he has to do is clear a pre-isolation Covid-19 test, which will allow him to re-enter the team hotel, and then return back-to-back negative tests, which will give him the green light to board the flight to Abu Dhabi.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo