Three West Indies players Tested positive for Covid-19, unavailable for Pakistan T20 series

The three Caribbean players have tested positive ahead of the shortest tour of Pakistan, along with the non-coaching member of the team management while they were fully vaccinated and now in self-isolation.

Three West Indies players Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, and Kyle Mayers have tested positive before the start of their tour of Pakistan and they will be unavailable to take part in the series. 

A non-coaching member of the team management has also tested positive. CWI said that these four persons were fully vaccinated and are now in self-isolation. 

The West Indies squad had arrived in Pakistan on Thursday. The Caribbean side will play the three T20Is and three ODIs in Pakistan, which would begin on November 13.

“Following PCR tests administered on arrival in Pakistan, Cricket West Indies (CWI) can confirm that four members of the West Indies touring party have tested positive for COVID-19 and will now undergo a period of self-isolation. Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, allrounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, along with a non-coaching member of the team management unit returned positive tests in Karachi and will therefore be unavailable to participate in the upcoming Pakistan series. All four members are fully vaccinated and are without major symptoms,”

a Cricket West Indies statement said.

“Our arrival testing protocols in Pakistan have confirmed four (4) COVID-19 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 before they arrive in Pakistan and two negative PCRs since they have been in Karachi. The risk of COVID-19 infection is impossible to remove completely from a cricket tour, although many of our players have been living in bio-secure bubbles almost continuously since before the CPL. 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,”

a quote attributed to Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies, stated.

“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 (10) days and until they return negative PCR test results,”

the release further stated.

The opening T20 game will be played on Monday at the Karachi National Stadium.