Seven members of the England cricket team including three players and four staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday. let’s look at who will Lead England’s Battle Against PAK
“Following RTPCR tests administered on Monday in Bristol, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can confirm that seven members – three players and four management team members – of the England Men’s ODI party have tested positive for COVID-19,” the ECB said in a statement.
The identities of the COVID-positive players have not been disclosed by the ECB. They have said, however, that the current Vitality T20 Blast and the following limited-overs series against Pakistan will go according to plan. Ben Stokes will head the side against Pakistan, which will be revealed on Tuesday, in replacement of Eoin Morgan.
The Royal London ODIs and the Vitality IT20s against Pakistan will go ahead. Ben Stokes will return to England duties and captain the squad – which will be named in the next few hours. pic.twitter.com/LH3mBm8wOz
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2021
Who Will Lead England’s Battle Against PAK
‘‘We have been mindful that the emergence of the Delta variant, along with our move away from the stringent enforcement of biosecure environments, could increase the chances of an outbreak. We made a strategic choice to try to adapt protocols, in order to support the overall wellbeing of our players and management staff who have spent much of the last 14 months living in very restricted conditions,” Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer said.
“Overnight we have worked swiftly to identify a new squad, and we are grateful to Ben Stokes who will return to England duties to Captain. We also recognize the impact this news will have on our First Class Counties and their Men’s playing squads and thank them, along with our partners Sky and Royal London, for their ongoing support in dealing with this pandemic,’’ he added.
England and Sri Lanka recently completed a limited-overs series. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board did not confirm if any of its players have been affected by the virus.
England Team for PAK ODIs: Ben Stokes (C), Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Lawrence, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, John Simpson, Phil Salt, James Vince.
Also read: 5 Players To Watch Out For In The Sri Lanka India Series
