ISLAMABAD: Zahid Iqbal, 43, has become the first Pakistani living in China to receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, Pakistani state news agency APP reported on Thursday.
Pakistan said last month it would purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Chinese manufacturer Sinopharm in the first official confirmation of a vaccine purchase by the South Asian country as it battles a second wave of infections.
This week, Dr. Faisal Sultan, the de facto health minister of Pakistan, said he was hopeful the country would receive the first batch of the vaccine from Sinopharm in “early February.”
Iqbal told Chinese media he received his second dose on January 10 and felt “excited," APP reported.
“At first, the news of being vaccinated was scary but after some research I decided to go for it,” said Iqbal, who hails from Sahiwal and has worked as head of curriculum and sciences at an international school in Shanghai for 18 years.
There was a long queue at the vaccination centre but “after going through different steps, I got vaccinated which felt very normal," Iqbal said.
"We were told to fill a medical consent form in case of any reactions like muscular pain, fatigue, or fever in a day or two after being vaccinated,” he added, saying he was kept under observation for 30 minutes in case of an immediate adverse reaction.
Iqbal lauded the Chinese government's prevention and control tactics during the pandemic, saying it had handled the crisis "smoothly.”
First Pakistani receives Sinopharm vaccine in China
https://arab.news/8berz
First Pakistani receives Sinopharm vaccine in China
- Zahid Iqbal hails from Sahiwal and has worked as head of curriculum and sciences at a school in Shanghai for 18 years
- He received his second dose of the virus on January 10, says is excited and satisfied with the vaccination process
Sri Lanka seal gritty T20 win over Pakistan to level series
- In a contest trimmed to 12 overs a side, Sri Lanka scored 160 runs before choking Pakistan to 146-8
- The series saw the visitors clinch the opener by six wickets before rain washed out the second game
Dambulla: Sri Lanka eked out a hard fought 14-run victory over Pakistan in the third T20 at rain-hit Dambulla on Sunday, easing their batting jitters and squaring the three-match series 1-1.
The series, a warm-up for the T20 World Cup with Pakistan set to play all their matches in Sri Lanka due to political tensions with nuclear-armed neighbors India, saw the visitors clinch the opener by six wickets before rain washed out the second game.
“We were a bit worried about our batting and I’m glad we addressed that today,” said Wanindu Hasaranga, who walked away with both Player of the Match and Player of the Series honors.
“The bowlers did a good job too. The ball was wet and it wasn’t easy. We tried to bowl wide and slow and asked them to take risks.”
Hasaranga took four wickets in the game and in the process completed 150 wickets in T20Is.
In a contest trimmed to 12 overs a side, Sri Lanka muscled their way to a competitive 160 before choking Pakistan to 146-8.
Having been bowled out inside 20 overs in the series opener, Sri Lanka needed a statement with the bat and duly ticked every box after being put in.
The top order laid the platform and the middle order applied the finishing touches.
Wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis made hay under the Power Play, blasting 30 off 16 balls while Dhananjaya de Silva (22 off 15) and Charith Asalanka (21 off 13) kept the scoreboard ticking.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka then swung the momentum decisively, clubbing 34 off just nine deliveries, peppered with five towering sixes.
The sixth-wicket stand between Shanaka and Janith Liyanage produced 52 runs in just 15 balls and proved the turning point, shifting the game firmly Sri Lanka’s way.
Pakistan came out swinging in reply, racing to 50 in just 19 balls with captain Salman Agha hammering 45 off 12 balls, including five fours and three sixes.
But once the field spread, Sri Lanka tightened the screws, applied the choke and forced the asking rate to spiral.
“It was a good game of cricket,” Agha said.
“We conceded too many runs, but our batting effort was good. Unfortunately, we fell short. We know we are going to play all our World Cup games in Sri Lanka and it’s important that we played in similar conditions,” he added.
