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XtraTime Web Desk: England skipper Joe Root and Pakistan Test team captain Azhar Ali totally forgot the no-contact rule made by ICC during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the two shook their hand by mistake at the toss before the start of first test, which is being played at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.

Ali made the same mistake like Windies skipper Jason Holder, who almost shook fingers with England’s stand in captain Ben Stokes at the toss during the first test at Southampton last month.

Stokes had clenched his fists again then to keep away from shaking fingers with Holder and the presenter additionally reminded the 2 of the brand new social distancing guidelines.

But nothing of that kind occurred on Wednesday as Azhar and Root forgot about the brand new protocol put in place by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Azhar had a sheepish look on his face as replays of the incident had been performed on tv after the match started.

Players will not be allowed to do a variety of issues because of the Covid-19 menace, like utilizing saliva to shine the ball and shaking fingers with the opposition gamers.

Azhar won the toss and elected to bat within the first of three Tests towards England beginning at a dismal Old Trafford on Wednesday.

England have named an unchanged aspect from the one which defeated West Indies by 269 runs final week, although key all-rounder Stokes is unlikely for use a lot with the ball resulting from a quad damage.

“We are full of confidence off the back of two brilliant wins, so we come into the game unchanged and want to make the most of these overhead conditions,” Joe Root stated at the toss.

“We would probably have batted first, but at least we have something to work with. Ben is not quite 100% fit to bowl and it is too big a risk (for him to act as a frontline seamer).”

Pakistan have gone with three seam bowlers, together with younger firebrands Shaheen Afridi, 20, and Naseem Shah, 17, and a couple of leg-spinners in Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.