The allrounder returned a positive result when he was tested upon arrival at the team hotel in Karachi
Faheem tested positive on arrival at the team hotel in Karachi on Wednesday. He will now be placed in isolation for the next five days. Pakistan will take a call in due course on whether they need to replace him – give they are already traveling with a couple of replacement players in the squad.
Pakistan called up Iftikhar Ahmed and Naseem Shah in the first Test to cover for the absences of Faheem and Hasan Ali – the latter, a key prong of their pace attack – missed out because of an adductor strain, also picked up during the PSL. Both Iftikhar and Naseem played, though the former – ostensibly a direct replacement for Faheem – only bowled three overs.
Pakistan are confident that Hasan will be fit for the second Test, allowing them to bring back an opening pair that took over 80 Test wickets last year and were the second and third-highest wicket-takers for the year.
The rest of Pakistan’s squad returned negative tests, meaning that Haris Rauf is back in contention for selection. Rauf missed the first Test after testing positive for Covid-19.