New Zealand’s Tim Seifert couldn’t hold back his tears as he spoke about his latest COVID-19 ordeal in India. Seifert was unable to return home from India after testing positive for the deadly virus earlier this month. When the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis in the region, the Kiwi batsman was scheduled to fly back to New Zealand on a charter flight.

‘That was the most difficult time’: Tim Seifert

“That was the toughest time. Just got told that I had COVID and the CSK manager showing me the positive report on the test. That’s kind of the world stops a little bit. I just couldn’t think what was really next and that was the scary part of it”, on Tuesday, said Tim Seifert on a Zoom call interaction with media.

“You hear about the bad things and I thought that was going to happen to me”, he said as he wept.

Tim Seifert also added- In tears as he recalls Covid-19 ordeal in India. “That was definitely hard but, once a few days had gone by, everything had kind of calmed down a little bit, but the New Zealand boys had gone so then I just knew that it was the time of getting through it, looking at the positives, getting married in two months. That is exciting. So I think you just had to look at the positives and know that I was healthy”.

 

Tim Seifert didn’t have a choice but to go back to India.

The 26-year-old is now back in New Zealand, approaching the halfway point of his required 14-day controlled isolation at Auckland’s Jet Park Hotel, according to sources. He arrived at 2 am on Thursday. After checking negative, the Kiwi batsman who had represented the two-time IPL champion Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 flew back to New Zealand last week. He had no choice but to return to India after testing positive for Coronavirus and undergoing treatment in Chennai.

The majority of the New Zealand players have already arrived in London, as captain Kane Williamson, along with players Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Santner, and physiotherapist Tommy Simsek landed on Monday with the IPL players from the Maldives. Tim Seifert, who was not picked for New Zealand’s tour of England, will not be joining the squad or as a substitute player. New Zealand will face England in two Test matches before the WTC Final, the first from June 2 to 6 at Lord’s and the second from June 10 to 14 at Edgbaston.

 

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