THE Covid-19 challenge looms large for the Pakistan cricket team as it prepares to embark on its tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe later this week, with the players hopefully mindful of the risk of infection that resulted in the postponement of the Pakistan Super League early this month. The 35-member squad is led by batsman Babar Azam and will play three ODIs and four T20s in South Africa before travelling to Zimbabwe for two Tests and three T20s. From a purely cricketing perspective, the visitors may feel more confident about performing well having secured handsome wins over South Africa in Tests as well as the T20 series at home last month. Though the opponents are unlikely to be timid on their own turf, they are no longer the formidable unit they once were. However, the pandemic could well overtake on-field action. For the Pakistan players, who would have had several Covid tests prior to their flight, the strict adherence to a bio-secure environment on tour remains a daunting task indeed.

The players’ reckless attitude in New Zealand and during the cash-rich PSL at home was lamentable. Besides, it reflected poorly on the Pakistan Cricket Board that was unable to ensure that Covid-19 protocols were followed properly. South African players, too, will be under the spotlight during the upcoming series, having fallen well short of maintaining the desired safety standards for touring teams recently. It was just last month that Australia were forced to call off their tour of South Africa at the last minute citing unacceptable public health conditions there. That came as a major financial blow to Cricket South Africa, the game’s governing body in the region, that had already lost money after England pulled out of the ODI series last November. The Pakistan tour is a hurriedly arranged venture to compensate for some of the losses incurred by CSA. However, the respective boards must ensure strict safety standards so that the health of the players is not compromised.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2021