Top players and staff members of the England cricket team have tested positive for Covid-19, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
England players and staff tested positive for Covid-19
The ECB has not revealed the list of the 7 members’ names which include three players and four staff members who have been affected by the virus. However, the cricket board have said that the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast and the upcoming limited-overs series against Pakistan will go as planned.
The ECB said that the seven positive cases were verified following the PCR tests done on Monday in Bristol. The members will now undergo a period of isolation as per UK Government’s protocol on quarantine.
The ECB can confirm that seven members of the England Men's ODI party have tested positive for COVID-19.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2021
‘‘We have been careful that the development of the Delta variant, along with our move away from the harsh enforcement of biosecure environments, could increase the chances of an outbreak. We made a necessary choice to try to adapt protocols, to support the overall wellbeing of our players and management staff who have spent much of the last 14 months living in very restricted conditions,” Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer said.
A new England side
With the given situation, instead of Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes will be the captain of the young England squad against Pakistan which is set to be announced on Tuesday.
The Royal London ODIs and the Vitality IT20s against Pakistan will go ahead. Ben Stokes will return to England duties and captain the squad – which will be named in the next few hours. pic.twitter.com/LH3mBm8wOz
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2021
“Overnight we have worked quickly to identify a new squad, and we are thankful to Ben Stokes who will return to England duties as Captain. We also understand the impact this news will have on our First Class Counties and their Men’s playing squads and thank them, along with our partners Sky and Royal London, for their ongoing support in dealing with this pandemic,’’ he added.
England lately played the limited-over series against Sri Lanka. However, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board has not made any statements if any of their players have been tested positive for the virus.
