Karachi: Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will miss the second Test against Australia after testing positive for Covid-19, the Pakistan Cricket Board said Wednesday.
The 28-year-old all-rounder missed the drawn first Test in Rawalpindi due to a hamstring injury.
“Ashraf has tested positive for Covid-19 in his on-arrival test at the Karachi team hotel,” the PCB said in a statement. “He will now undergo a five-day isolation.”
The second Test starts on Saturday in Karachi.
Ashraf has blossomed as a Test all-rounder in the past two years, giving Pakistan much-needed balance in both batting and bowling.
He has so far played 13 Tests, scoring 632 runs with four half centuries and taken 22 wickets.
Ashraf is the second Pakistan player to test positive for the virus after fast bowler Haris Rauf missed the first Test for the same reason.
Fawad Ahmed, Australia’s spin bowling consultant, also tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
Australia are playing in Pakistan for the first time in 24 years, having previously refused to tour over security fears.
The third Test is in Lahore from March 21-25. The tourists will also play three one-day internationals and a single T20I.
Pakistan’s Ashraf to miss second Australia Test due to Covid-19
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Pakistan’s Ashraf to miss second Australia Test due to Covid-19
- The 28-year-old all-rounder missed the drawn first Test in Rawalpindi due to a hamstring injury
- Ashraf has tested positive for Covid-19 in his on-arrival test at the Karachi team hotel – says PCB
Rampant Sabalenka sweeps past Jovic into Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE: Relentless top seed Aryna Sabalenka muscled past American teenager Iva Jovic and into the Australian Open semifinals Tuesday to accelerate her bid for a third Melbourne title.
The Belarusian powered home 6-3, 6-0 in blazing heat to set up a clash with either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
It booked the 27-year-old a 14th career Grand Slam semifinal and fourth in a row at the season-opening major.
Sabalenka has won twice in Melbourne, in 2023 and 2024, and seemed destined for another crown last year but was upset in the final by Madison Keys.
Keys’ title defense is over, beaten in the fourth round by Jessica Pegula.
“These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory at the lead-up Brisbane International.
“It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. She played incredible tennis. Pushed me to to one step better level. And I’m super happy with the win.”
The match was played under an open roof on Rod Laver Arena with the tournament Heat Stress Scale yet to reach the level where it could be closed.
Temperatures are forecast to hit a blistering 45C with a peak of 38C reached during the match.
Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for 18-year-old Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
She stunned seventh seed and two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and blitzed past experienced Yulia Putintseva for the loss of just one game to announce herself to the world.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
The world number one safely held serve to lay down a marker, blasting an ace to set up game point and an unreturnable serve to win it.
Jovic made some early errors and sent the ball long on break point to surrender her serve and fall 2-0 behind.
Sabalenka held to pile on the pressure before Jovic fended off a break point on her next serve to get on the scoreboard.
But despite some long rallies as she got into the match and three break points as Sabalenka served for the set, the top seed’s brute force proved too much.
Sabalenka then broke her immediately to assert control of set two and Jovic was spent, with another break for 3-0 then a double fault to slump 5-0 down, signalling the end.
