Two Zimbabwe players and two members of support staff have tested positive for Covid-19.
Regis Chakabva and Timycen Maruma, the two positive players, were both part of the provisional 25-man squad picked to travel to Pakistan, but were left out of the 20-man party that arrived in the country this week.
Chakabva and Maruma were room-mates in Zimbabwe’s biosecure bubble at the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Academy in Harare, and both tested positive for the virus. ZC then screened and tested those deemed to have come into close contact with the pair, and two other members of staff “who were providing support services” at the academy also returned positive results.
The positive tests will not put the series in Pakistan in doubt. The touring squad stayed at a separate facility in a separate hotel in Harare as part of their own bubble, and all tested negative both before departure and upon arrival in Islamabad. Their quarantine period ends on Tuesday, and they will be tested again before then.
“Chakabva and Maruma, as well as the other two infected backroom staffers, are currently observing a period of self-isolation in accordance with Covid-19 protocols,” a ZC statement said. “We wish the four a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming them back at work soon.
“Apart from providing support to those infected and affected, we will continue to adhere to government and public health guidelines with regards to our facilities and staff, and will be taking further steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus.” (ESPNCricinfo)
