Coronavirus outbreak: Mashrafe Mortaza tests positive for COVID-19
Former captain of Bangladesh cricket team Mashrafe Mortaza, on Saturday, tested positive for coronavirus. However, it has not been confirmed how the fast bowler contracted the virus. Mortaza's younger brother Morsalin bin Mortaza confirmed the news to Sportstar, stating the cricketer is presently under home-quarantine at his residence in Dhaka. Here are further updates on the same.
Mortaza has been unwell for the last few days
Morsalin said the former showed mild symptoms, earlier this week. "He wasn't keeping well for the last couple of days, so he had undergone a test. The results have come positive and now he has been home-quarantined," he told Sportstar.
Former cricketer Nafees Iqbal also tested positive
According to recent reports of Bangladesh media, former Bangladesh cricketer Nafees Iqbal and elder brother of ODI captain Tamim Iqbal had tested positive for the virus. Bangladesh's development coach and former first-class cricketer Ashiqur Rahman was also found to be positive for the same, last month. Previously, Mortaza's mother-in-law Hosneyara Shiraz had also tested positive. She was kept in home-isolation.
In June, Shahid Afridi was found to be COVID positive
Earlier this month, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi had tested positive for coronavirus. Afridi revealed that he was feeling sick before the results came out. The 40-year-old became the third cricketer from the nation to test positive for the novel virus after Taufeeq Umar and Zafar Sarfaraz. "I've been tested and unfortunately, I'm COVID positive," he had revealed.
Mortaza has been helping the society during pandemic
Mortaza has been actively involved in helping the unprivileged section of the society during the pandemic. In March, he extended financial support to 300 families, who belonged to the lower-income group, in his birthplace Narail. Notably, 27 Bangladesh players donated half of their monthly salaries to help the nation raise funds. Bangladesh has so far reported 1,425 deaths with over 1,00,000 cases.
