West Indies will be unable to train for the next three days on the Tour of New Zealand because members of the squad have “contravened” COVID-19 managed isolation protocols.
Cricket West Indies said in a media statement late on Tuesday that there is no indication that any of the members of the squad left or had contact with anyone outside of the bio-secure bubble in which they have been confined, since arriving in the country almost two weeks ago.
But health officials in New Zealand said the team had been given certain exemptions from the strict rules of managed isolation in place in the country and they had now failed to fully abide by them.
CWI said that an internal investigation into the issue had already begun and the squad will now not be allowed to leave the managed isolation facility for the remaining period of quarantine.
There has been no indication that the Tour is in jeopardy and the team will travel to the southern island city of Queenstown for two warm-up matches against New Zealand “A” on Friday.
“This morning (Tuesday), CWI was informed that some members of our New Zealand touring party had contravened the strict COVID-19 protocols within the team’s managed isolation facility in Christchurch,” the CWI statement said.
“The New Zealand Ministry of Health has advised us that all members of the West Indies touring party will now be unable to train for the remainder of the quarantine period and will have to complete their quarantine within the managed isolation facility only. CWI is in full support of the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s position.”
The CWI statement added: “From the information we have received so far, we have been told that the incidents in question included some players compromising the bubble integrity by mixing between two separate West Indies bubbles into which the touring party had been split, by sharing food and socialising in hallways.
“There is no evidence, or suggestion, that any members of the touring party left the facility, or that any unauthorised persons accessed it.”
The Windies are expected to receive the results of the latest round of their COVID-19 tests on Thursday and have taken four tests in the past three weeks to be part of the Tour.
“Ahead of the Tour of New Zealand, the West Indies touring party all returned two negative COVID-19 tests before leaving the Caribbean and underwent two further tests since they have been in New Zealand,” the CWI statement said. “All results were negative.
“The players underwent their final scheduled tests (on Tuesday) morning and, results permitting, are scheduled to leave the managed isolation facility on Friday.”
This is the second tour of the year for the Windies during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, making them the only international team that has made that many trips.
They marked the resumption of international matches following periods of lockdown and low travel globally during the pandemic, when they embarked on the Tour of England this past June.
The Windies players remained in a bio-secure bubble in England from start to finish, including their movement between the two match venues of Old Trafford in Manchester and the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
The players were allowed to mix during that trip, but they were never able to leave the bubble, unlike New Zealand, where once the period of quarantine has ended, they are free to be part of the general population.
Several members of the current squad were also part of strict quarantine requirements during the Caribbean Premier League, which took place between this past August and September in Trinidad.
This meant 14 days of managed isolation at the designated tournament hotels before they were allowed to mix with fellow players and restricted movement to and from training and match venues.
Media reports indicate that members of the Windies squad who have been taking part in the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates – along with the New Zealand players at the tournament – are due to arrive on Thursday in Christchurch.
They too will begin a period of 14 days of managed isolation at the same hotel where the team is currently located, and this will end one day before the opening T20 on November 27 in Auckland.
CMC
