Two Peshawar Zalmi's players, Haider Ali and Umaid Asif, have been suspended from Thursday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6 final against Multan Sultans for violating health and safety protocols.

The duo admitted to meeting people from outside their designated bio-secure bubble and also failed to maintain the prescribed social distancing.

The incident happened on Wednesday after which both players were placed in isolation. Luckily, they had not come into contact with any other squad members after the incident.

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Following the development, the tournament’s Covid-19 management panel comprising Barrister Salman Naseer (PCB, Chief Operating Officer) and Babar Hamid (Director – Commercial, and HBL PSL 6 head) decided to suspend both players on Thursday morning.

The players will remain in isolation and will not be allowed to partake in tonight’s high-voltage encounter between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi.

Sohaib replaces Haider in national squad

Furthermore, Haider Ali has been withdrawn from the England and West Indies tours, respectively.

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Chair of the Selectors Muhammad Wasim, in consultation with captain Babar Azam and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, has named Sohaib Maqsood as Haider Ali’s replacement for the two tours on which the Pakistan men’s national cricket team will play three ODIs and eight T20Is, apart from two Tests in Jamaica.

Sohaib has had a stellar HBL Pakistan Super League 6, in which he has to date scored 363 runs in 11 matches with an average of 40.33 and strike rate of just under 153.

Sohaib has represented Pakistan in 26 ODIs and 20 T20Is, with his last T20I appearance being against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2016.