Shoaib Malik set to reunite with wife Sania Mirza and son Izhaan

Shoaib Malik and son Izaan

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who plays only in the T20 format, was on Saturday granted permission to join the national squad late in England so that he can spend some time with his family, whom he has not seen for nearly five months.

Shoaib has been in Pakistan since the begining of the Coronavirus outbreak while his wife, tennis player Sania Mirza, and son Izhaan, one, have been in India due to the ban on international travel. A 29-member Pakistan squad will depart on June 28 for Manchester but Shoaib has been allowed to reach England on July 24 after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) agreed to his late arrival.

"Unlike the rest of us, Shoaib Malik has not seen his immediate family for nearly five months due to his commitments and the subsequent international travel bans following the COVID-19 pandemic," PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said in a statement.

"As travel restrictions are now slowly easing out and there is an opportunity for a family reunion, it is appropriate that at a human level, we show compassion as part of our duty of care and respect Shoaib's request," he added.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news