Three West Indies players, along with a non-coaching member of the team management, have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the start of their tour of Pakistan. The three players, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell and Kyle Mayers, returned positive tests in Karachi. The West Indies squad had arrived in Pakistan on Thursday. The Caribbean side is slated to play three T20Is and three ODIs in Pakistan on the limited-overs tour, starting Monday.
“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, allrounders 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,” a Cricket West Indies statement said.
The results came in while the players and staff were still in room isolation, according to the official release.
“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. 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,” a quote attributed to Johnny Grave, CEO Cricket West Indies, stated.
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“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 release further stated.
The three-match T20I series starts on Monday, December 13 and will be played at the Karachi National Stadium.
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