England’s preparations for their first Test match in Pakistan have been dealt a serious blow with around half the squad affected by illness.
However, they team have announced they will be able to field an XI for the match, which will begin as scheduled at 4pm (AEDT) on Thursday.
Approximately 13 to 14 members of the touring party are sick, with around half of that number members of the playing squad. Only five players were able to attend an optional training session on match eve.
Ben Stokes is among those affected and it is believed to be a bug or virus rather than COVID.
The opposing teams released a joint statement to say the match would go ahead on Friday if the English players recover on Thursday.
“The two boards agreed, subject to the England players not recovering well enough to take the field on Thursday morning, then the Test will commence on Friday and will be a five-day match.”
It was scheduled to start on Thursday (AEDT) but has been delayed due to the outbreak.
England made their final training session ahead of the Test match on Wednesday morning optional.
Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope and Joe Root reported for the practice session at the stadium in Rawalpindi – taken by head coach Brendon McCullum – with the rest remaining at their Islamabad base.
Earlier Stokes had named his nominal starting XI for the match, including handing a debut to Liam Livingstone and a first Test recall since 2016 for Ben Duckett, but his plans could be forced to change due to the illness.
Livingstone has not played a red-ball match in 2022, but was part of England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia earlier this month.
Despite not representing Lancashire in the County Championship since September 2021 as he has been focusing on shorter-format cricket, Livingstone caught the attention of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum for his eye-catching shots in white-ball cricket.
Duckett has not played a Test since 2016 when he was handed a brutal baptism of fire at the hands of Indian spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
But he amassed over 1,000 runs in last season’s County Championship Division Two at an average of 72.28
England XI named earlier for Pakistan: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes, Liam Livingstone, Jack Leach, Ollie Robinson, Jimmy Anderson.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
My response didn't make it past the filters. I'll try again later.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Joe Rogan is an entertaining guy. Not a doctor, scientist, or other subject matter expert. If you're referring to specific guests of him, please provide a link. Similarly, I'm not familiar with the Global Covid Summit. I'll peek out of morbid curiosity, but I won't deep dive for an unlimited period in order to find the evidence that you won't provide. The notion of 'do your own research' is unfeasible insofar as there may be literally nothing to find on any subject, but that lack of revelation can be refuted with something like "well, you need to dig deeper." It's never ending and futile. I agree that you should question the information from whatever sources you utilize. But that goes both ways. Just because you distrust one source does not guarantee the accuracy of an opposing source. I didn't answer your question about women because it was a red herring, but you came closer to providing a source that you had before, so I'll indulge you. A woman in general terms is a person with female body parts. You're trying to create an issue related to transgender individuals. I believe that am not the arbiter of someone else's personal feelings and experiences. People can do whatever they want as long as they're not hurting anyone else, and if that means considering themselves to be a different sex, etc, whether they take medical steps or not, who am I to judge them? Clearly, it's not a decision made lightly, or one that makes their lives easier, so they deserve respect, not scorn.
Sam 3 Can
Guest
I doubt you'll take any information in, itll all be conspiracy , yet you'll believe propaganda from your chosen outlet within the echo chamber without question. To me your resistance to answering a simple question displays that you are captured by an ideology and feel you have to obey all that is dictated to you through the narrative. Try listening to Joe Rogan or go to Global Covid Summit
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I'll copy my earlier response: You can never stay on topic. Do you have a non-existent attention span, or do you recognize that you need to deflect because your positions are so consistently weak? Still waiting on a link.
Rellum
Roar Guru
"Wait till they get a load of me"
Sam 3 Can
Guest
Answer the question first . What is a woman ? If you can't answer a simple question, it's pointless supplying credible information, as you are obviously incapable of processing it.
Gonzo99
Roar Rookie
The water seems to have done some good to the players that survived it. They just broke the record for the quickest test team to reach 500. :shocked:
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Utter crap. Provide a credible link.
Sam 3 Can
Guest
Lotsa extra deaths globally , and they all correspond with the dodgy jab roll outs . Let alone all the ( apparently normal ) young people with myocarditis and pericarditis.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Compare the death tolls before and after the vaccine was made available. I'd request you post a link to support your "health issues" babbling, but you never do.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
You can never stay on topic. Do you have a non-existent attention span, or do you recognize that you need to deflect because your positions are so consistently weak?
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Threaten to send out a Queenslander, that always works.
Sam 3 Can
Guest
Here's an easy question for ya little Timmy . What's a woman ?
Frank delosa
Guest
The test should not be delayed due to illness. Tough luck. If every test was delayed due to illness there would be no play. English players were warned not to drink the local water yet they did so. Start the match and deal with it. These are the times we are living in people.
Sam 3 Can
Guest
Worked in brainwashing fooools ,that's about all. Oh and creating a myriad of health issues . Baaaaaa Baaaaaaass
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
The vaccines worked. You were wrong. Just accept it and then you can move on with your life.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Sounds like a bad case of BazBug!
Sam 3 Can
Guest
Jab em alll threee or foooor times with something experimental, that'll fix em .