Haris to skip UK tour due to COVID-19 fears

Middle-order batsman Haris Sohail has withdrawn from Pakistan's upcoming tour of England due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will also not travel although his decision is based on personal reasons as his wife is due to give birth to their second child in August.

Pakistan are due to play three Tests and three Twenty20 internationals starting in August, with hosts England providing "bio-secure" arrangements in closed stadiums and hotels.

"Sohail's family was concerned about COVID-19, so he requested to withdraw from the tour while Amir has withdrawn so that he can be at the birth of his second child," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman confirmed.

Amir retired from Test cricket last year but was due to play in the Twenty20 games.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have provided special arrangements to reduce the risk of the coronavirus for their series in July against the West Indies, which precedes Pakistan's visit.

Their matches will be played at Manchester and Southampton, both of which have hotels on site.

Pakistan will send 28 players and 14 support personnel on the tour.

Three West Indian players - Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul - withdrew from their tour last week over COVID-19 fears.

The West Indies team reached England on Tuesday and will play the first of three Tests in Southampton from July 8.

England fast bowler James Anderson has praised the West Indies players for making a "scary decision" to travel to Britain during the pandemic.

While many islands on the Caribbean have had fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19, the United Kingdom has been one of the world's hardest-hit countries with more than 40,000 coronavirus deaths already registered.

"From our point of view, we're very grateful the West Indies are coming over here,” Anderson said.

“With what's going on in the world, I can imagine it's a scary decision for a lot of them, for all of them, to make the journey over."

Meanwhile, India have postponed their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka scheduled later this month over COVID-19 fears.

Virat Kohli and his men were scheduled to play three one-day matches and as many T20 internationals, but the BCCI has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that the tour "will not be feasible".

The Indian cricketers, who have not even started training, will follow advice from the Indian government health regulatory authorities before resuming cricket, the SLC has been told.