England and Pakistan officials are in discussions about a possible 24-hour delay to the first Test in Pakistan, after 13 to 14 members of the England squad - including half the 16-man playing pool - were struck down by illness on Wednesday.The issue is thought to be a virus or bug rather than food poisoning, with England taking particular care over what they eat with the help of a chef, Omar Meziane, who has travelled with the team for this tour. However, on Tuesday, some players reported feeling unwell and were told to stay in their rooms to limit the risk of spreading the virus. An ECB spokesperson confirmed that the illnesses were not Covid-19 related, with players experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea. There is a hope the virus passes in 24 hours, though with the first of the three-match series due to begin in Rawalpindi on Thursday, England's chances of getting off to a strong start have been severely hampered.
Root, speaking to the media on Wednesday, acknowledged that discussions were underway about a rearranged start to the match, with officials from the two boards - PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, and the ECB's Rob Key and Neil Snowball - meeting to consider all options. A final decision is expected to rest with the England team doctors, who are due to assess the players by 8am local time, two hours before the scheduled start of play.Joe Root didn't give out much on the current situation of the players. He simply joked, "There's going to have to be Marcus Trescothick, Rob Key and Brendon McCullum as the new top three for tomorrow."Root himself was unwell on Tuesday evening, but recovered to join a few of his teammates in the nets on Wednesday (November 30), and hopes the condition isn't to worse for his other team members either.As far as I'm aware there are a few guys not feeling 100 percent but - I didn't feel great yesterday but I woke up better today - so hopefully it's just a 24-hour virus and I don't think it's food poisoning or Covid or anything like that.
With the hours of play already cramped by the fast-setting winter sun, a delayed start to Thursday's play has already been ruled out. The playing conditions for the World Test Championship require all matches to be staged across a five-day window, therefore ICC dispension will be required if the game is to be rearranged as a four-day Test. However, an ECB spokesperson confirmed that play would not have got underway in the current circumstances.
