Three Pakistan cricketers test COVID-19 positive ahead of team's departure to England
Karachi: Pakistan cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and rookie Haider Ali on Monday tested positive for COVID-19, raising fresh questions over players' safety ahead of the team's departure to England.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed three players Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan have tested positive for Covid-19," said the PCB in a statement.
"The players had shown no symptoms until they were tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday ahead of the Pakistan men's national cricket team's tour to England.
"The PCB medical panel is in contact with the three who have been advised to immediately go into self-isolation," the statement said further.
Leg-spinner Shadab is the only established member of the team out of the three. Rauf has played only two T20 Internationals while highly-rated batsman Ali had received his maiden call-up for the England tour comprising three Tests and as many T20s.
All the squad members are being tested for coronavirus ahead of the team's departure on June 28.
"Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari, also screened in Rawalpindi, have tested negative and, as such, will travel to Lahore on 24 June.
"The other players and team officials, barring Cliffe Deacon, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis, underwent tests at their respective centres in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday.
"Their results are expected at some stage on Tuesday, which will also be announced by the PCB through its usual channels. Until then, the PCB will not make any further comment," the PCB added.
Besides a 29-member squad, the PCB has also named four reserves for the England tour -- Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
Also on Monday, PCB doctor Sohail Saleem said that the England tour in the midst of the pandemic is a "big risk" but a necessary one.
Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had tested positive for the deadly virus. Former Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar was also tested positive for the virus but he has recovered.
Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza had tested COVID-19 positive last week alongside Nazmul Islam and Nafees Iqbal.
The West Indies tour of England beginning next month marks the resumption of international cricket, followed by the Pakistan series. Both series will be played in a bio-secure environment.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
