London: New Zealand’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have suffered a big setback with the news of star all-rounder Amelia Kerr testing positive for Covid-19.
The 21-year-old tested positive in England on Saturday and will spend the next week in hotel isolation away from the rest of her team-mates.
The Commonwealth Games begin on July 29.
Kerr is the only New Zealand player to have tested positive, with the White Ferns to continue to monitor and test the remainder of the squad ahead of matches against England A later this week, according to ICC.
Following those warm-up matches, New Zealand will relocate from their training base at Millfield School in Somerset to Birmingham for the start of the Commonwealth Games at the end of the month.
New Zealand are in Group B for the eight-team tournament, with a clash against South African their first assignment at Edgbaston on July 30.
Kerr was earlier this month named by the ICC as one of the first five players selected as “100 per cent Cricket Superstars” and is expected to play a major role in helping New Zealand claim gold in Birmingham.
The right-hander has the record for the youngest player to score a double century in women’s cricket following her superb unbeaten 232 against Ireland at the age of just 17 years and 243 days, while she is just as capable with the ball.
During the recent ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on home soil, Kerr scored 201 runs from seven matches and also chimed in with nine valuable wickets.
New Zealand Commonwealth Games squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Jess McFadyen, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe.
–IANS