Just hours ahead of the third and final T20I match between Pakistan and West Indies that is set to take place at Karachi’s National Stadium today (December 16), five more West Indian players and support staff tested positive for COVID-19, Cricket West Indies confirmed in a statement Thursday morning.
“Three players: wicketkeeper/batsman Shai Hope, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, allrounder Justin Greaves; along with Assistant Coach Roddy Estwick, and Team Physician Dr Akshai Mansingh returned positive results in the latest round of testing carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),” the statement said.
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, the WI Cricket statement read.
They will remain in isolation for 10 days or until they return negative PCR test results.
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 Thursday morning, once all members of the touring party have been tested again, to determine whether the tour can continue.
Earlier, Barbadian publication Nation News had reported that the COVID tests of the Pakistani squad, on the other hand, came back negative.
On Saturday night, before the first Twenty20 began at the National Stadium, three visiting West Indian cricketers and a member of the team staff had tested positive for the coronavirus.
