The ongoing three-match T20I series between hosts Pakistan and West Indies and the ODI series set to follow it now looks uncertan as five more players and support staff from the touring party have tested positive for Covid-19, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced.
Of the five, three are West Indies players while the remaining two are support staffs.
Team Physician Dr. Akshai Mansingh, Assistant Coach Roddy Estwick and players Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein and Justin Greaves are the ones testing positive for the deadly virus and the latest development now takes the total of positive cases in the West Indies camp to nine since their arrival in Pakistan.
“All three players will therefore miss the upcoming matches and all five individuals will remain isolated from the rest of the West Indies squad and are now under the care and supervision provided by the medical officials. They will remain in isolation for ten (10) days or until they return negative PCR test results,” the CWI said in a statement.
“With a total of six players now ruled out of the tour due to COVID-19 and a finger injury to Devon Thomas (sustained in the 1st T20I), CWI and PCB Officials will be meeting on Thursday morning, once all members of the touring party have been tested again, to determine whether the tour can continue,” it added.
As per reports, the Pakistani squad, on the other hand, have tested negative for the virus.
Earlier on Saturday night before the first match of the T20I series, three West Indian cricketers and a member of the team staff had returned positive for the virus.
Notably, left-arm quick Sheldon Cottrell, all-rounders Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers and a non-coaching staff member had returned positive. The CWI had said that the players will therefore be unavailable to participate in the upcoming Pakistan series.
CWI also said that all the four of them were fully vaccinated and they showed no major symptoms of the disease. “However, they are will now be in isolation for ten days,” the CWI statement said.
“Our arrival testing protocols in Pakistan have confirmed four COVID-19 positives,” CWI chief executive Johnny Grave had said.
Pakistan currently lead the T20I series 2-0 after winning the first and second affair by 63 and nine runs respectively.
The two sides are scheduled to face each other in a three-match ODI series, beginning December 18 in Karachi. The second and third ODI are slated to he held on December 20 and 22 respectively.
Like the T20I series, the entire ODI rubber has also been scheduled to be staged at the historic National Stadium in Karachi.