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THREE WEST Indies players and a member of the technical staff, in Pakistan, have tested positive for covid19.
They are left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, all-rounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers and one coaching member of the team management unit.
The quartet tested positive following PCR tests administered on arrival in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday. They now undergo a period of self-isolation and will take no part in the T20 and One-Day International series.
A statement issued by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Saturday said that all four members are fully vaccinated and are without major symptoms.
It read, “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 days and until they return negative PCR test results.”
[caption id="attachment_929084" align="alignnone" width="637"] Kyle Mayers [/caption]
Chase is the only one of the three who was selected to both the West Indies T20 and ODI teams while Cottrell and Mayers were chosen for the shorter format only. Chase and Mayers however, recently participated in the recent Test tour of Sri Lanka.
CWI has no intention of flying in replacement players for the tour and will utilise the players available to them in Karachi. Johnny Grave, CWI CEO, confirmed this on Saturday.
“We have no plans to call up replacements,” he said via WhatsApp. “If needed, we have players in the ODI squad that are already in Karachi and are in the bubble.”
The three-match T20 series bowls off on Monday and ends on Thursday and the three-match ODI series begins on December 18 and concludes four days later.
He added, “Our arrival testing protocols in Pakistan has confirmed four covid19 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 added that the risk of covid19 infection is impossible to remove completely from a cricket tour, in spite of the fact that many West Indies players have been living in bio-secure bubbles almost continuously since before the Caribbean Premier League in August/September.
He deemed the unexpected omission of these three key players as a serious blow to the touring team.
“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,” said Grave.
All T20 matches bowl off at 9 am and the ODIs at 4 am (TT time).
Prior to the official announcement of both T20 and ODI teams by CWI, it was revealed that the experienced all-rounder Jason Holder is being rested for this tour due to workload management.
Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are unavailable due to injury and rehabilitation and Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons are unavailable due to personal reasons.
[caption id="attachment_929082" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sheldon Cottrellcr[/caption]
Additionally, first-choice West Indies T20 and ODI captain Kieron Pollard pulled out of the tour after failing to recover from a hamstring injury he sustained during the recent T20 World Cup. He was however, replaced by Rovman Powell (in the T20 team) and Devon Thomas (in the ODI squad).
Vice-captain Nicholas Pooran replaces Pollard at the helm of the T20 squad while Hope will serve as vice-captain. The pair reverses roles for the ODI series.
TOUR SCHEDULE
T20 Series – December 13, 14 and 16
ODI series – December 18, 20 and 22
 
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