The Indian cricket team has been hit by a case of coronavirus and one player will not be able to travel with the team to Durham.
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The Indian cricket team is currently on a break after the end of the ICC World Test Championship final vs New Zealand. In the interim, there have been many instances of players either attending the Wimbledon championships or the Euro football tournament. However, the United Kingdom is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases as the delta variant spreads all over the country. In the last 24 hours, there have been over 42,000 cases in the United Kingdom.
Amidst all the coronavirus cases, one Indian cricket team player has tested positive for the coronavirus. Although the player is asymptomatic, he will not be traveling with the Indian cricket team to Durham. According to a report in PTI, a senior BCCI official has confirmed that the player has tested positive. His name has not been revealed.
The Indian cricket team players have been traveling all over the country on their holidays. However, they might have openly ignored the letter written by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. In the letter, Jay Shah had specifically stated that players should avoid going to Wimbledon and Euro Championships. The letter had specifically told the players to “avoid” crowded places as the Covishield vaccine only provides protection and not full immunity against the virus.
The PTI report has stated that the player is isolating at the house of an acquaintance and will not be going to Durham. India might play one warm-up game in addition to an intra-squad match ahead of the first Test in Trent Bridge. The United Kingdom has opened all sporting facilities amidst the surge in the delta cases.
The Euro final championships saw over 80,000 people in attendance, with several thousand more in various parts of the country assembled. There was no social distancing and masks were not worn. Apart from the Euro Championships, there was the Pakistan vs England ODIs that saw a full crowd in all the stadiums. The F1 race in Silverstone might see full crowds with over 150,000 people in attendance.
The India vs England series faces no threat but the coronavirus pandemic has not gone away. Fans are expected to attend in full capacity for all five Tests. The five-match series will take place from August 4 to September 14.
The Indian cricket team has a very busy schedule from August. The five Tests will be the first series in the ICC World Test Championship. India will then play the IPL in the UAE while the ICC World T20 will take place in the UAE and Oman from October 17 till November 14. The ICC World Test Championship finalists will then host New Zealand at home for Tests and T20Is. Kohli’s team will then travel to South Africa for a Test series. Virat Kohli’s team will be determined to win a series in South Africa for the first time. In the 2018 series, India lost the three-Test series 1-2 despite being in a strong position in all the three Tests.
However, one hopes that the coronavirus pandemic does not impact the Indian team ahead of the Tests. But, with cases rising, vigilance will have to be at its peak.
