Pakistan vs South Africa: Proteas undergo first training session after all players return negative COVID-19 tests – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Karachi: The entire South Africa cricket team has cleared the COVID-19 tests, allowing the tourists to take part in their first outdoor practice session in Karachi on Sunday.

The South Africa squad, which includes 21 players, underwent their first COVID-19 tests soon after landing in the country’s financial capital on Saturday morning and according to their media manager, all the reports came negative.

The players and officials were then allowed to go to the Karachi Gymkhana ground adjacent to their hotel and have their first training session.

The players and officials will undergo another round of COVID-19 tests in two days time.

Hitting the ground running in Karachi 💪😄. The #Proteas are good spirits on their first practice day in Pakistan. 🇵🇰 🏏🇿🇦 #PAKvSA #SeeUsOnThePitch pic.twitter.com/IYVGVS5YCN

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 17, 2021

The South African squad arrived in Karachi without the services of their Indian performance analyst, Prasanna Agoram as he was not issued a visa for the tour by the Pakistan embassy in Pretoria.

A source said Prasanna had been denied visa due to security reasons.

The source said that the Indian analyst of the team will now work from his home in Bengaluru and assist the visitors in the Test and T20 series.

Last year when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan, their head coach Lalchand Rajput didn’t accompany the team as he withdrew from the tour on the advice of the Indian embassy in Harare.

The visitors reached Karachi on a chartered flight for a month-long tour after all commercial airlines from South Africa were stopped due to the pandemic.