Three Sri Lankan players tested positive for COVID-19

Dubai: Three players from Sri Lanka tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

The players tested positive after all team members were screened after two players exhibited mild symptoms, according to biosecurity protocols in place for the nine-team event, which kicked off in Harare on Sunday.

The third player would be asymptomatic. All three are isolated and receive appropriate medical care.

The rest of Sri Lanka’s roster is negative, but is currently isolated as a precaution and will be tested again on Tuesday ahead of their opener against the Netherlands.

ICC Events Manager Chris Tetley said the event will go ahead as planned.

“We have teams of 15 players at this event, which helps manage injuries and illnesses, including COVID-19, plus the teams had the option to bring travel supplies with them.

“As you can imagine, the rest of the squad are closely watched and they will all be retested before entering the pitch on Tuesday.

“The event’s biosecurity plan provides us with protocols to effectively perform positive tests in order to move the event forward and protect all players and other participants,” said Tetley.

Sri Lanka will play their opener against the Netherlands on Tuesday and the rest of Group A matches on Saturday (against the West Indies) and Monday (against Ireland).

Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe and the United States make up Group B, with three teams from each group reaching the Super Six stadium, where final places will be determined.

The tournament will decide three qualifiers for the 2022 Women’s World Cup, to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, and will join five teams that have already qualified through the Women’s World Cup tournament in Australia, England. , India, South Africa and host country, New Zealand.

The three qualifiers and the next two teams will secure places in the next ICC Women’s Championship (IWC), as well as the top five from last time, as the number of teams in the IWC third round has increased from eight to ten.