LAHORE (Pakistan): Fast bowler Mohammad Amir and middle-order batsman Haris Sohail have pulled out of the upcoming England tour due to personal reasons, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Thursday.
Amir has withdrawn so that he can be at the birth of his second child in August while Haris will miss the tour because of family reasons.
Pakistan will send 28 players and 14 player support personnel for three Tests and three T20Is to be played in August and September. The squad as well as pre-series and series schedule will be announced in due course.
On Tuesday, PCB appointed former captain Younis Khan as batting coach for the upcoming tour while former spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as the team’s spin bowling coach and mentor for the three-Test and three-T20Is series that will be played in August-September.
The appointments have been made to provide head coach Misbah-ul Haq and fast bowling coach Waqar Younis the necessary and essential resources that can help them further uplift the performance of the side.
As part of the tour arrangement, additional players will be sent to England, which makes it even more important to have equally capable coaches to provide best training and preparation opportunities to the players.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board have provided special arrangements to reduce the risk of the coronavirus for their series against the West Indies – preceding Pakistan’s matches – with hotels inside venues at both Manchester and Southampton.
England will host the West Indies for three-match Test series starting July 8.
No Windies players or staff have been tested positive thus far with good signs blessing the tour but three of their players Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo and Keemo Paul declined the invitation to be in the squad and travel for the England tour due to health fears.
