Coronavirus in sport: Shahid Afridi tests positive

Bengaluru, June 13: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, incidentally becoming the first high-profile cricketer to be infected with the deadly virus.

"I've been feeling unwell since Thursday; my body had been aching badly. I've been tested and unfortunately I'm covid positive. Need prayers for a speedy recovery, InshaAllah," Afridi announced on Twitter.

The 40-year-old Afridi played for Pakistan between 1998 and 2018, featuring in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20 Internationals.

I’ve been feeling unwell since Thursday; my body had been aching badly. I’ve been tested and unfortunately I’m covid positive. Need prayers for a speedy recovery, InshaAllah #COVID19 #pandemic #hopenotout #staysafe #stayhome

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) June 13, 2020

Afridi is the third Pakistan cricketer to test positive for COVID-19 after Taufeeq Umar and Zafar Sarfaraz.

Former Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar recovers from Covid 19

However, Umar has recovered from coronavirus after going into a 14-day self-isolation at home. The former Pakistan opener tested positive last month. His second test after 14 days negative in the first week of June.

Scotland's Majid Haq and South Africa's Solo Nqweni are the other cricketers to have contracted the virus.

Afridi has been a lot of doing social work during the COVID-19 pandemic via 'Shahid Afridi Foundation'. He also asked Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh to tweet videos urging people to donate to his foundation.

He faced flak for his comments on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Yuvraj, Harbhajan slammed Afridi for his derogatory comments,

Initially both Yuvraj and Harvhajan had backed Afridi's social work for COVID-19 victims for which they even had to face Twitter backlash.

But with Afridi training guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both the Indian cricketers were on the defensive.

Never again - Yuvraj Singh reacts after Shahid Afridi's anti-India comments

Harbhajan Singh raps Shahid Afridi for his controversial remarks on PM Modi

Afridi's cricket career had been marred by a spate of controversies and recently his former team-mate Danish Kaneria accused him of spoiling his career.

Shahid Afridi was always against me: Danish Kaneria

With 98 scalps, Afridi was the leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals before he was surpassed by Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga recently.

He has been invloved in many spats with former Indian opener and current lawmaker Gautam Gambhir with Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis recently urging his compatriot to act sensibly and put an end to their long-running acrimonious social media exchanges.