The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed infectious disease experts Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood and Dr Salma Muhammad Abbas as independent members of the two-person fact-finding panel that will review the bio-secure protocols as well as the bylaws that were put in place during the Pakistan Super League 6, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

The independent panel will submit its findings and recommendations to PCB Chairman Mr Ehsan Mani by 31 March.

The independent panel has been tasked to carry out a holistic and detailed review of the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures for the HBL Pakistan Super League 6, identify any gaps and advise as to the reasons why the bio-secure environment did not remain Covid-free.

Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood is an Associate Professor, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University, while Dr Salma Muhammad Abbas is a Consultant Infectious Diseases and General Medicine with the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said, “The PCB takes the health and safety of its players, player support personnel and match officials seriously. We have demonstrated our duty of care in the international series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, as well as during the nine domestic events in which we successfully staged 220 matches.”

“This included the 34-match National T20 Cup in Multan and Rawalpindi as well as the first and second elevens Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the Pakistan Cup in Karachi,” he said. 

“The independent panel of two distinguished experts has been appointed with the sole purpose of an honest, constructive and objective review. The independent panel will speak with all the relevant stakeholders, including the event and hotel staff, medical and compliance officers, team players and managements, so that we can get a better understanding how the cases occurred,” Mani said. 

The sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League was postponed after a spate of positive Covid-19 tests - as many as seven players or officials have now returned positive tests in less than a week. Later, PCB Medical and Sport Sciences head, Dr Sohail Saleem, on Saturday resigned from his position after the PSL6 was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak reported in tournament’s bio-secure bubble.