Minutes before the second ODI between hosts West Indies and Australia was about to kick off in Barbados on Thursday, there was a pause on proceedings and the match had to be postponed eventually because of a COVID-19 positive case inside the home team’s camp.
Cricket West Indies confirmed the development via a media statement, informing that the positive case is not of any of the players involved but of a member of the home team’s support staff.
“The established COVID-19 protocols stipulate that all members of both teams and match officials will return immediately to the team hotel and will be re-tested later today. They will remain in isolation in their hotel rooms until their PCR-Test results are returned.”
the CWI added in their statement.
A final decision to reschedule the match will only be taken after the results of those PCR-Tests are confirmed, which means a cloud of uncertainty now hovers over the remaining ICC Super League fixtures of the series. The visitors are due to fly across to Bangladesh for their five-match T20I series immediately after the scheduled final one-dayer against the West Indies on Saturday.
The teams were made aware of the positive test of this non-playing member in the West Indies camp only after the toss had taken place. Australians had the flip of the coin ending in their favour and opted to bat first. Pacer Riley Meredith was set to make his debut after replacing Wes Agar, but he’ll now have to wait longer for his maiden 50-over outing for Australia.
The Australian team led by stand-in captain Alex Carey, who has replaced an injured Aaron Finch at the helm, had won the rain-interrupted opening ODI of the series on Tuesday by a margin of 133 runs on DLS method.
