Six Sri Lanka Women’s Cricketers and one support staff member has been tested Covid Positive, Cricket Age exclusively learns. The news came before the match between Sri Lanka and West Indies Women’s team.
“Steps will be taken to bring back the Sri Lanka women’s team from Zimbabwe,” the Sri Lankan cricket board (SLC) said.
Sri Lanka was scheduled to play qualifier matches ahead of the Women’s World Cup. However, Just few hours ago, the International Cricket Council (ICC) abandoned their Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 qualifier in Zimbabwe, which was scheduled to be played till December 5.
According to an official statement, the reason for the decision is due to the threat of COVID-19. The tournament would have decided the final three spots for the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand next year and also the remaining two berths in the next cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship.
Then, In another setback, three-match Betway One-Day International (ODI) series between South Africa and Netherlands was also mutually deferred on account of the growing anxiety and concerns relating to the new variant of the COVID-19 virus discovered in South Africa.
It’s noteworthy that in last 24 hours, the new variant has created a havoc across the globe. A new coronavirus variant – B.1.1.529 – has been red-flagged by scientists over an alarmingly high number of spike mutations that might make the virus more resistant to vaccines, increase transmissibility and lead to more severe symptoms.
First identified in South Africa this week, the variant has spread to nearby countries, including Botswana, where fully vaccinated people have been infected. In South Africa, over 100 cases have been linked to this variant, with four more in Botswana.
Travel bans and restrictions have been imposed on flights from South Africa by several countries including the United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA).
