KARACHI – With the T20 series between Pakistan and West Indies just around the corner, the Covid-19 tests of three key players and a coaching staff of the West Indies team came out positive, after which they have been ruled out of the series.
Following PCR tests administered on arrival in Pakistan, Cricket West Indies (CWI) can confirm that four members of the West Indies touring party have tested positive for COVID-19 and will now undergo a period of self-isolation.
Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, all-rounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, along with a non-coaching member of the team management unit returned positive tests in Karachi and will therefore be unavailable to participate in the upcoming Pakistan series. All four members are fully vaccinated and are without major symptoms.
Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said: “Our arrival testing protocols in Pakistan have confirmed four (4) COVID-19 positives. These were confirmed whilst the players and staff were still in room isolation, so despite this significant setback to our preparation plans, we are confident that the tour can continue as everyone else returned negative PCRs prior to their arrival into Pakistan and two negative PCRs since they have been in Karachi.”
He said, “The risk of COVID-19 infection is impossible to remove completely from a cricket tour, in spite of the fact that many of our players have been living in bio-secure bubbles almost continuously since before the CPL. This unusual loss of three players from our squad will seriously impact our team preparations, but the rest of the squad are in good spirits and will begin training today ahead of our first game on Monday.”
All four individuals will remain isolated from the rest of the West Indies squad and are now under the care and supervision of the Team Physician, Dr Akshai Mansingh. They will remain in isolation for ten (10) days and until they return negative PCR test results.
The three-match T20I Series starts on Monday, December 13 and will be played at the Karachi National Stadium.
