Pakistan Cricket Board completes 1st phase of Covid-19 vaccination for players and support staff

Pakistan’s national team players and support staff have got their first jabs of vaccination against Covid-19, the country’s Cricket Board said on Friday. In the first phase of the vaccination drive, 57 male cricketers, along with 26 coaches and officials, have received the vaccine.

The drive culminated with eight Test team players, currently in Zimbabwe, receiving their second dose on Thursday in Harare, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

PCB chief operating officer Salman Naseer thanked the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) — the country’s COVID-19 planning body — for prioritizing the cricketers.

Test team players have received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Harare. pic.twitter.com/e9BU3kAcIZ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 7, 2021

“… we requested the NCOC for vaccines during the HBL Pakistan Super League 6. The vaccination drive started in Karachi and our first priority was to get the players and support staff involved in the tournament vaccinated,” PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer said in a statement.

“After the initial round of vaccination in Karachi, we focused on getting the remaining members of the men’s squad, who were not involved in the PSL 6, vaccinated before the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe.”

In the next phase, remaining domestic men cricketers, national women cricketers, age-group cricketers and support staff of the domestic, national women and age-group teams will be vaccinated.

“The PCB is fully behind the government’s vaccination drive and once again urges people across Pakistan to get vaccinated in order to ensure the health and safety of their own selves and their families,” Naseer said.

“Our players both men and women and PCB management will continue to provide full support and backing to the NCOC vaccine awareness initiatives as they have done repeatedly since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.”