SPORT

Shoaib Malik cleared to join England tour late after family reunion

Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik will be allowed to join the tour of England late after spending time with family he has been unable to see for nearly five months.

Former captain Malik, 38, has retired from Tests and one-day internationals but continues to play T20 matches.

He has been in Pakistan while his wife, tennis player Sania Mirza, and one-year-old son Izhaan, have been in India due to the ban on international travel.

Pakistan play England in three Test and Twenty20 matches starting next month.

As with next month’s three Test fixtures against West Indies, the two series will be contested in a bio-secure environment.

Prior to the travel ban, Shoaib featured in the Pakistan Super League, which began in February before it was suspended on 17 March.

A 29-member combined Pakistan squad will depart on 28 June for Manchester, before travelling to Derbyshire for a 14-day quarantine period.

The Pakistan Cricket Board contacted their counterparts at the England and Wales Cricket Board, who agreed Malik could enter the country on 24 July.

“It is appropriate that at a human level we show compassion as part of our duty of care,” the PCB said. “Of course, Shoaib will follow the UK government’s policies on visitors entering the country before integrating with the side.”

The three-match T20 series takes place from 29 August-2 September.

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