UAE, Ireland ODI Postponed After Player Tests Positive For Covid-19

The second ODI match between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has been postponed after a UAE player has returned a positive test for the coronavirus on Saturday.

The ODI which was slated for Sunday (January 10) is rescheduled to 16th January, according to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).

It is reported that middle-order batsman, Alishan Sharafu is the third member of the UAE squad to have tested positive for the virus in recent days. Earlier, batsman Chirag Suri and left-arm spinner Aryan Lakra have also tested positive for the virus and later were put into quarantine.

“Alishan is currently in isolation awaiting transfer by the Health Authorities to a medical isolation facility,” the ECB said in a statement.

The hosts lead the series 1-0 after winning the first ODI by 6 wickets on Friday. Chasing a target of 270, middle-order batters,  Chundangapoyil Rizwan and Muhammad Usman notched up their respective hundreds as UAE completed the chase with an over to spare. The next ODIs will be played on January 12, January 14, and the rescheduled game on January 16.

Ireland and Afghanistan ODI series in UAE rescheduled

The 3-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Ireland, which was supposed to commence on 18th January, has been rescheduled owing to the delayed arrival of the hosts in the UAE. The series will now begin on 21st January in Abu Dhabi; the next two ODIs to take place on 24 and 26 of the same month.

The matches were earlier slated to happen in Oman. However, it will be played now in the UAE instead of Oman due to visa issues faced by the Afghanistan Cricket Board’. The series is part of the ICC World Cup Super League, which is a qualifying route for the 2023 World Cup.

The ACB has asked their star players, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi to return back from the Big Bash League in Australia where they are currently playing.

Richard Holdsworth, High-performance director for Cricket Ireland, said, “We are pleased that after discussions over recent days, an agreement was reached on keeping the series in Abu Dhabi after the Afghanistan squad’s visas came through. We are thankful to the Emirates Cricket Board and Abu Dhabi Sports Council in working with us to ensure the series will be played in a safe and healthy environment.”

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