An independent investigation committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the bio-bubble created for the PSL 6 broke and was compromised on several occasions.
The two-member committee of infectious disease experts was constituted by the PCB to investigate what went wrong with the biosafety bubble at PSL 6.
The final report by Dr. Syed Faisal Mahmood and Dr. Salma Muhammad Abbas was presented to PCB President Ehsan Mani on March 31.
The head of the PCB will now study the report and share the details with the board members before a final decision is made.
But a source familiar with the committee’s findings said that while it had not blamed any particular individual, the report had confirmed that there were several occasions when the biosecurity bubble was compromised during the tournament in Karachi.
The source said the committee had also made recommendations on how the board can ensure a safe biosecurity bubble for stakeholders when PSL 6 resumes in June.
PSL 6 was postponed by the PCB in early March after only 10 of the 34 matches were completed following a spike in COVID-19 cases at the event.
The PCB had to postpone PSL 6 abruptly after several players, including foreigners Fawad Ahmed, Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory, and some local players and officials, contracted the virus despite remaining in a biosecurity bubble.
Interestingly, the source said that experts had mentioned that some stakeholders had even tipped off some PCB officials about the biosecurity breaches, but did not respond proactively.
The PCB has said it will take action against those employees who are responsible for not properly enforcing the biosafety bubble.
Dr. Sohail Saleem, who is head of the department of medical and sports sciences at the PCB, has already submitted his resignation to the chairman of the board after the PSL was postponed on March 4.
.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.