KARACHI: An independent fact finding committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the bio-bubble set up for the PSL 6 was broken and compromised on several occasions.
The two-member committee of infectious diseases experts was constituted by the PCB to probe what went wrong with the bio-secure bubble in PSL 6.
The final report of Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood and Dr Salma Muhammad Abbas was submitted to the PCB chairman Ehsan Mani on March 31.
The PCB chief will now study the report and share the details with the board members before any final decision is taken.
But a source privy to the findings of the committee said that while it had not blamed any particular individual, the report had confirmed that there were several occasions when the bio-secure bubble was compromised during the tournament in Karachi.
The source said the committee had also made recommendations on how the board can ensure a safe and secure bio-secure bubble for stakeholders when the PSL 6 resumes in June.
The PSL 6 was postponed by the PCB in early March after just 10 of the 34 matches were completed following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the event.
The PCB had to postpone PSL 6 abruptly after several players, including foreigners Fawad Ahmed, Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory and some local players and officials had contracted the virus despite remaining in a bio-secure bubble.
Interestingly, the source said the experts had mentioned that some stakeholders had even brought to notice of some PCB officials about the bio-secure breaches but they didn't respond proactively.
The PCB has said that it would take action against those employees found to be responsible for not enforcing the bio-secure bubble properly.
Dr Sohail Saleem, who is head of the PCB's medical and sports sciences department, has already submitted his resignation to the board chairman after the PSL was postponed on March 4.