Australia‘s spin bowling consultant Fawad Ahmed has been tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the three-match test series that will start on March 4. Fawad was appointed for the role in place of Sridharan Siram.
Fawad Ahmed played 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is for Australia
“Team medical staff ensured Fawad isolated on his arrival at the hotel and he then returned the positive test after showing mild symptoms,” stated an official Cricket Australia release.
“He will remain isolated for at least five days – as per government regulations – and will only come out of that isolation after he returns two negative tests and is symptom-free. Members of Australia touring party self-test regularly and undergo regular testing from external medical practitioners,” it added.
Battle for the inaugural Benaud-Qadir Trophy begins Friday
More details: https://t.co/cbQOapCUZf#PAKvAUS | #BoysReadyHain pic.twitter.com/5R5W2IKe6C
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) March 3, 2022
The test match will be played at Rawalpindi. It’s Australia’s first tour to Pakistan since 1998 and to mark this historic occasion, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named the series between the two countries as Benaud-Qadir Trophy.
Pakistani captain Babar Azam and Australian captain Pat Cummins on Wednesday unveiled the Trophy at the Pindi Cricket Stadium ahead of the first Test which starts on Friday.
The series will be significant in the context of the World Test Championship as well as these two teams are among the hot favourites to qualify for the final. In the first only series of this WTC cycle, Australia beat England comprehensively by 4-0.
While on the other side, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 2-0 in the 2-match series while earlier they drew the series by 1-1 in West Indies. Australia are currently at no.2 in the points table while Pakistan are at no.3.
In the remaining fixtures, Australia are set to tour Sri Lanka and India in the next season and will host West Indies and South Africa next summer.
Apart from Australia, Pakistan will also host England and New Zealand in the remaining cycle and their away tour remaining is against Sri Lanka.