The ECB has notified the PCB that they have enough players for the first test to begin on schedule.
Two boards argued about the state of English players’ health yesterday.
That choice had been tabled until this morning.
Early Thursday morning, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) received word from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that they will be able to field a playing XI, allowing the first Test to begin as planned.
With some English cricketers down with a viral infection, the ECB has allayed fears that the first Test might be postponed by a day.
According to a brief statement posted to Twitter by the PCB, “the first PAKvENG Test will commence as per schedule today (Thursday, 1 December) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.” The ECB had earlier informed the PCB that they were ready to field an XI.
The cricket governing bodies of the two countries met the day before to discuss the virus that has spread through the England Test team. They had decided to delay a decision on the commencement of the first Test till this morning.
The two boards reached their decision after receiving medical advice from England’s doctors, which centered on the health and welfare of the players, and they agreed that the England cricket team can select an XI for the first of three ICC World Test Championship matches, which will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The two boards also agreed that the Test would begin on Friday and would last for five days unless the England team was healthy enough to play on Thursday morning.