BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - CRICKET WEST INDIES (CWI) has confirmed that all players, management staff and TV crew involved in the Australia/West Indies series have returned negative PCR test results following Thursday’s (July 22) scare.
Shortly after Australia won the toss and chose to bat, word broke that a non-playing staff returned a positive result forcing the postponement of the game.
As part of the COVID-19 protocols, all players and staff were forced to return to their hotel, placed in quarantine and take a PCR test.
In announcing the results yesterday (July 23), CWI explained that all 152 persons tested for COVID-19 on the previous evening returned negative results, following the suspension of Thursday’s second CG Insurance One-Day International.
“All members of the West Indies and Australia teams and coaching staff, as well as match officials, event staff and TV production crew were tested back at the hotel with everyone being in room isolation since.
“Following confirmation from the Ministry of Health officials in Barbados that all the results are negative, CWI will now hold meetings with Cricket Australia (CA), the Barbados Cricket Association, and Government of Barbados officials to agree when the resumption of the CG Insurance ODI Series at Kensington Oval can begin,” CWI said in a media statement yesterday afternoon.
A number of cricket series or tournaments have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
One such is the lucrative Indian Premier League which had half of its season pushed back until September.
According to CWI, on Thursday, the second CG Insurance ODI between West Indies and Australia was suspended after the toss due to a positive COVID-19 test result from a non-playing member of the West Indies squad following discussions between the local health officials and the CWI and CA Medical Teams before the start of play.
“CWI has been working closely with Local Ministries of Health to operate strict bio-secure bubbles successfully during the past year, and will continue to prioritize the health, safety and wellbeing for all concerned,” the statement added.
