Sri Lanka men’s team analyst GT Niroshan has tested positive for Covid-19, one day after batting coach Grant Flower had also tested positive, forcing Sri Lanka Cricket to consider the option of fielding a second-string side against India.
What is especially worrying for the team’s doctors, is that both Niroshan and Flower have tested positive for the Delta variant of the virus, which is particularly contagious, as well as dangerous. The Sri Lanka squad was expected to come out of isolation and enter the team’s bio-bubble on Friday, but will now be forced to spend at least two more days in isolation, and face another RT-PCR test, the results of which will determine whether the main squad can viably play a series against India.
SLC does have a contingency plan in place, however. They have two other groups of players in bio-bubbles – one in Colombo, and one in Dambulla – who could potentially step up to play the series against the second-string India squad that has been preparing for the limited-overs series, whose ODI leg is scheduled to start on Tuesday.
A member of Sri Lanka’s medical staff said it was “too early to say” if the main squad would have to be deemed out of commission for the series. Sri Lanka’s medical staff believes the two support staff members who have tested positive so far were infected while they were in England.
More to follow…
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf
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