West Indies Players Cleared To Leave Isolation Facility In New Zealand After Passing Third Round Of COVID-19 Testing

West Indies cricket team made their way to New Zealand shores to partake in two Tests and three T20Is, beginning from the 27th of November. With the COVID-19 pandemic demanding from the players full co-operation in terms of following bio-security protocols, the tourists did not do the same. They breached the rules at their Christchurch hotel. But thankfully, the cricketers have cleared the third round of COVID-19 testing.

The team faced a ban on Wednesday, imposed by New Zealand’s Ministry of Health as it emerged from the CCTV footage that the players had flouted the quarantine protocols, mingling and sharing food in the hallway. The Caribbeans received exemptions from the country’s government for the upcoming series as the borders are currently only open for returning citizens and residents.

The West Indians also received some leeway from the isolation rules as the nation’s government allowed them to train in larger bubbles, which remains prohibited otherwise. At present, by clearing the third round of COVID-19 test, the players have earned the clearance to leave their bio-secure facility in Christchurch on Friday. The tourists will travel to Queenstown on Friday for a couple of warm-up games ahead of the first T20I on the 27th of November.

West Indies coach apologises to the New Zealand government on behalf of his players:

West Indies’ head coach Phil Simmons regretted the actions of his players, who breached the bio-security rules, and termed it embarrassing from their viewpoint. Simmons underlined that they were gradually coming to the level of match fitness and coming on the back of no cricket, they had to start slower. The Kiwi and Caribbean cricketers, who participated in IPL in the UAE, landed in Christchurch on Thursday. They will have to spend a couple of weeks in quarantine in Christchurch.

“I have to apologise to the New Zealand public and the government who have allowed us to come here. It’s embarrassing from our point of view. We were just getting to the levels that we would normally start at, but coming from no cricket, we had to start slower,” the former West Indies cricketer said as quoted by India Today.

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