COVID-19 claims life of former Pakistani cricketer Zafar Sarfraz

Peshawar: Former Pakistan first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfaraz has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarfraz had been on ventilator support in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar for three days before passing away in the late hours of Monday, Cricbuzz reported.

The 50-year old is the first professional cricket player from Pakistan to succumb to the coronavirus, after testing positive last on April 7.

Sarfraz, who had made his debut in 1988, made 616 runs from 15 first-class games for Peshawar. He also had 96 runs from six one-day games before retiring in 1994 and moving on to coaching.

The left-handed batsman played a vital mentoring role for cricket in Peshawar over the years, coaching Peshawar’s Under-19 side and the senior side in the 2000s.

This has been the second bereavement in the family in the last ten months: Zafar’s brother, Akhtar Sarfraz, who represented Pakistan internationally in 4 ODIs in the late ‘90s, passed away after a battle with colon cancer on June 10, 2019.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province whose capital city is Peshawar, has been one of the most affected COVID-19 regions in the country, with 744 active cases out of a total of 5500 nation-wide.

The current death toll due to the virus in Pakistan stands at approximately at 100. (UNI)