St John’s (Antigua): Three West Indies cricketers — Sheldon Cottrell, Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers and a non-coaching member have tested positive for Covid-19 upon their arrival in Pakistan and will be unavailable for the three-match T20I series, which begins in Karachi on Monday.
According to Cricket West Indies (CWI), all four individuals will be in isolation for ten days and until they return negative tests. They will be monitored by Dr Akshai Mansingh, the team physician.
“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,” CWI said in a statement on Sunday.
Johnny Grave, the CEO of CWI, confirmed that the tour will go ahead as scheduled despite the Covid-19 cases in the touring camp.
“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,” Grave 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,” he added.
The absence of Cottrell, Chase and Mayers will further deplete the West Indies side, who are already without their senior players.
The three-match T20I Series starts on Monday, December 13 and will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.
(IANS)