Spin bowler Kashif Bhatti on Thursday become the first member of the national team to test positive for Covid-19 following tests conducted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
However, the ECB said that a follow-up test taken of the same player returned negative result as it cleared him to rejoin the rest of Pakistan squad.
A spokesperson of the English board explained that Bhatti's failed test was due to the remnants of virus still being in his system. Nonetheless, it said that the 33-year-old was no more a threat to anyone and cannot spread the virus.
Bhatti, one of the squad members for Pakistan’s upcoming Test and T20I series against England, was sent into isolation following the initial negative result.
The 33-year-old was part of the quartet that had tested positive for the virus in the first round of testing conducted in Pakistan. He had later passed two consecutive tests and subsequently sent to England on July 8 along withHaider Ali, Imran Khan Sr. and masseur Malang Ali.
As per the ECB protocol, the group were to be tested upon their arrival before they could join the squad.