Four Sydney Thunder players have screened positive for COVID-19 before their New Year’s evening BBL match against the Adelaide Strikers on Friday, 31st December. According to an insider, Cricket Australia studying the source of contact with the virus and requesting further evidence to determine if the match may go forward or not in accordance with the regulations and guidelines established by the South Australian government. Here is the Strikers vs Thunder Schedule.
The Thunder’s remaining players are presently waiting for the results of the RT-PCR testing, which seems to be available by the end of Friday. Even though the results are negative, the match at the Adelaide Oval will be confirmed after looking deep into the matter. It comes as no surprise that the Thunder, captained by Chris Green, will be decimated to some level if the game on Friday is played.
Safety remains our number one priority: Alistair Dobson
The BBL has been already impacted by the COVID outbreak, which forced the postponement of Thursday’s matchup between the Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers. Right before the game at Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, a member of the Stars’ support staff became infected with the terrible virus.
“While regrettable, the decision to postpone tonight’s match was the only option available given the exposures within the Stars cohort,” Alistair Dobson, the general manager of the Big Bash Leagues, said.
“The League has a number of biosecurity protocols in place to keep our participants safe and the competition moving forward. These protocols are regularly reviewed in response to the risks in each state. Safety remains our number one priority, and we will work with the Stars to get their side back on the field as soon as possible,” he stated.
This is also the first instance in the pandemic that the BBL has been shocked by COVID-19 instances. Earlier in the game, Thunder’s Sam Whiteman was found to have made a contact and was forced to leave the game.
“The staff member is being managed by Melbourne Stars medical staff in consultation with Cricket Australia and we look forward to them being able to return to the group in due course. We have key home matches scheduled on January 2 and 3 in Melbourne so we hope to have more clarity through testing over the next 24-48 hours,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said previously.
In the recent development, the official tweet read, “The league would like to thank the Strikers, Thunder, and SA Health for their hard work today to ensure this match can proceed as scheduled”.
The Stars and the Scorchers will square off again on January 2, Sunday, at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.
