After “six or seven” of the tourists fell ill with a virus a day before the first ball of their historic Test series opener in Rawalpindi, England and Pakistan are currently discussing a possible postponement, with a decision anticipated later this afternoon.
Ben Stokes had boldly declared his XI for Thursday’s first Test two days beforehand, confirming Liam Livingstone’s debut and recalling Ben Duckett as opener six years after his last of four outings.
A “viral virus” has crept through the camp, and only Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root were present at Wednesday’s final training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. A 24-hour delay to the match is now probable.
While the session was voluntary, an England official stated that “13 to 14 members” of the tour party, including “six or seven of the 16-man playing team,” were experiencing symptoms of a “bug.”
This includes Stokes, and it is believed that Jack Leach, who handles Crohn’s disease, is also experiencing symptoms. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed, the two backup spinners, both failed to catch a net.
The England team doctor has ruled out food poisoning and Covid-19, and the illness is not believed to be serious at this time. Root was feeling ill the day before, but after a night of improvement, he appears to be one of the few who will be fit for the planned start.
If the plague had struck on the morning of the match, England would not have been able to field a team without recalling retired coaching personnel. The England and Wales Cricket Board and the hosts are monitoring the situation accordingly.
The match, England’s first Test in Pakistan in 17 years, might be delayed by an additional 24 hours and shortened to a four-day affair if others heal more slowly than Joe Root.
“Yesterday I felt ill, but I awoke today feeling much better, so perhaps it was only a 24-hour thing,” said Root. “It’s just one of those things that our group has unhappily acquired. We have done everything we can to prepare for this game, but sometimes life throws you curveballs. “We have to see how we perform as a team on Thursday.”
Root ruled out a possible return to the captaincy seven months after stepping down, citing Pope’s leadership of England against the Lions in a warm-up match in Abu Dhabi last week.
Stokes has never appointed a vice-captain, although Stuart Broad, who is absent from this tour due to paternity leave, was thought to be the unofficial deputy during the most recent home summer.
By taking their chef to Pakistan, England has attempted to limit the risk of disease during the trip. Omar Meziane, who has previously worked with the England football team and the Harlequins rugby club, is in charge of food preparation at the team hotel in Islamabad and is also ill.
