Coronavirus hits cricket, football grounds
About 125 countries have been affected of Coronavirus around the globe, which makes more than half the world, since its outbreak in China’s Wuhan city. About 5000 people have died and more than 0.13 million people have tested positive for the infection.
It has turned into a pandemic and has have tremendously jolted all the industuries from education to economic to entertainment and sports as well. Recently, few international players and officials of cricket and football have also been either tested positive or suspected for the highly contagious disease.
Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson has been quarantined after reporting a mild sore throat. He is being tested for coronavirus as he arrived home from South Africa.
“Our medical staff are treating this as a typical throat infection but we are following Australian Government protocols that require us to keep Kane away from other members of the squad and perform the appropriate tests given he has returned from international travel in the last 14 days,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.
“Once we receive the results of the tests and Kane recovers in the next few days we expect he will re-join the team.”
Sean Abbott has joined the squad as cover on Friday, Cricket Australia reported. Abbott was part of Australia’s T20 squad in the recent tour of South Africa.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus paving the way for postponement of his team’s match against Brighton on March 14. Training has also been postponed and those who recently made contact with him have self-quarantined themselves.
The 37-year-old said he got himself checked after feeling dizzy. Majority of the club staff and players are expected to self-isolate themselves now for 14 days.
Also Read: Foreign players going to leave PSL 2020
Italian footballer Daniele Rugani has tested positive for Coronavirus on Mar 11. Italian club Juventus’ defender is the first player in the country’s top football league to contract the disease as the virus outbreak has turned into a pandemic.
Star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has quarantined himself for fear of coronavirus despite the fact that he has shown no sign of it. He took the decision to self-isolate after visiting his stroke-stricken mother in Madeira, Portugal. Ronaldo and his family members are symptomless.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday allowed the foreign players to leave the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 amid fear of coronavirus.
10 foreign players and one coach participating in the PSL have reportedly expressed their desire to leave the ongoing league.
Karachi Kings’ Liam Livingston and Alex Hales; Peshawar Zalmi’s Carlos Brathwaite and Liam Dawson; and Multan Sultan’s Rilee Rossouw and James Vince are among those who are going to leave Pakistan on Friday (today), local media quoted PCB official sources as saying.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh cricket team has excused from visiting Pakistan. After culmination of the PSL 2020, Bangladesh team was scheduled to visit Pakistan and play an ODI in Karachi on April 3 and second ICC World Test Championship fixture from 5-9 April.
The Sindh government has decided that the next PSL 2020 matches will be held in front of empty stadium in Karachi amid fear of spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The decision will be implemented from Friday (today).
Spokesperson Sindh Government Senator Murtaza Wahab said the provincial cabinet had decided that the remaining matches of the PSL 2020 in Karachi would take place without any crowd. “This decision has been made after consultation with all stakeholders including the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),” he said.
