Monday night's Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators has been delayed after legspinner Fawad Ahmed returned a positive test for Covid-19. Ahmed had showed symptoms two days ago and had been immediately isolated, his franchise Islamabad United said. Other members of Islamabad United have returned negative tests while the Quetta Gladiators players are being tested. The start of the game, which was scheduled for 7.30pm local time, has been pushed back to 9pm.

A spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told ESPNcricinfo that members of every franchise are currently being tested for Covid-19 as well.

This is the PSL's second major Covid-related incident, and the second case of a player testing positive for the virus. On February 21, Peshawar Zalmi's captain Wahab Riaz, and coach, Darren Sammy, had been forced into a three-day quarantine after meeting a person outside the team's biosecure bubble. The breach had come three days after the PCB had briefed players, support staff and match officials to "religiously follow" all Covid-19 protocols. Each PSL franchise has its own Covid compliance officer, who is responsible for testing, implementation of protocols, sanitisation, and players' temperature checks. The whole process is bring regulated by the event doctor.

The other player to test positive, an anonymous one from Lahore Qalandars, had gone into 10-day isolation on the same day and will need to return two negative tests and clear a fitness assessment before he can be re-integrated with the squad. This is likely to be the case with Ahmed as well.

Ahmed had made his first appearance of this edition of the PSL on Saturday, February 27, during United's loss against Peshawar Zalmi. United's statement on his isolation suggests that would be the evening during which Ahmed went into isolation. Ahmed, who has represented Australia in ODI and T20 cricket, is a regular at the PSL and in leagues around the world. The 39-year-old came into this edition on the back of a long run of games in the Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers, including a miserly 1 for 16 in the final against Sydney Sixers.