Joe Denly, Brendan Taylor to replace Mahmudullah, James Vince in Multan Sultans squad for PSL play-offs

KARACHI: England's Joe Denly and Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor will replace Mahmudullah and James Vince in the Multan Sultans squad for the Pakistan Super League play-offs, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.

Both Bangladesh spinner Mahmudullah and England batsman Vince had tested positive for COVID-19 in their pre-departure tests conducted in their respective countries and were ruled out of the competition.

"Joe Denly and Brendan Taylor will be replacing Mahmudullah and James Vince in the Multan Sultans squad for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 playoffs," the PCB said in a statement.

While England all-rounder Denly will have to clear the COVID-19 test before joining the team, Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman Taylor is currently in Pakistan for the T20 International matches and will join the Sultans after the conclusion of the series.

Denly could not play for the Sultans due to national duty last year, while Taylor played for Lahore Qalandars in an earlier PSL edition.

The Board also informed that an unnamed individual staying in the team hotel has tested positive and has been isolated.

"An individual has been shifted to an isolation room within the team hotel after his Covid-19 test returned positive," the statement said.

"As per the PCB Covid-19 Protocols, he should have travelled to Karachi only after receiving a negative result from home test. However, upon arrival in Karachi, the PCB Medical and Sports Sciences received the positive result, following which he was quarantined immediately."

The PCB said the individual will now stay in isolation until he returns two negative tests.

The PSL play-offs were postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will now be played between November 14-17.