Coronavirus outbreak forces England to select new squad for Pakistan ODIs
London, Jul 6: England was forced to select a completely new squad on Tuesday for the one-day international series against Pakistan after an outbreak of the coronavirus infected three players and four members of staff.
The initially selected squad went into isolation following the results of tests taken on Monday, a day after the team's last ODI against Sri Lanka in Bristol.
The names of those who tested positive have not been disclosed. The remainder of the group were identified as close contacts.
The three ODIs and three Twenty20s against Pakistan, starting on Thursday with the first ODI in Cardiff, were still going ahead and at the same venues.
England's revised, hastily assembled ODI squad includes nine new caps and will be captained for the first time by Ben Stokes and coached by Chris Silverwood, who had been due to take some time off during the white-ball series but has been pressed back into action.
The initial squad will be back in time to play the T20 series, which starts on July 16.
We're in unprecedented territory in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team," said Ashley Giles, director of England's men's cricket, and I'm proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done."
Most of those who tested positive are without symptoms, the England and Wales Cricket Board said, but some are feeling unwell.
All players in the initial squad received at least one vaccine jab, but not everyone was fully vaccinated.
"We have been mindful that the emergence of the delta variant, along with our move away from the stringent enforcement of bio-secure environments, could increase the chances of an outbreak, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said.
"We made a strategic choice to try to adapt protocols, in order to support the overall wellbeing of our players and management staff who have spent much of the last 14 months living in very restricted conditions."
The new 18-man squad and staff drafted in will need to submit negative tests and complete bridging protocols before joining the squad in Cardiff.
That match will take place in front of a 50% capacity crowd, with the second game at Lord's on Saturday representing cricket's first 100% crowd since the pandemic began. The series then concludes at Edgbaston.
Stokes has been pulled out of Durham's English County Championship match against Warwickshire. He had been left out originally by England in a bid to manage his comeback from a finger operation.
Revised England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson, James Vince.
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Dubai: Kannadigas Helpline supports stranded tourists, seeks Rs 2 crore emergency relief from K'taka
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Dubai: The Kannadigas Helpline team organised a virtual meeting to review the current situation in the UAE and gather information about stranded Kannadigas to share with the Karnataka government.
The meeting was led by non-resident businessman and advocate for non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs), Dr. Ronald Colaco. Addressing participants, Dr. Colaco said the UAE remains safe and expressed confidence that normalcy would return soon. He urged Kannadigas to follow guidelines issued by UAE authorities and cooperate with local officials.
Dr. Colaco also announced his readiness to bear the expenses required to maintain an emergency support system for tourists facing distress. He appealed to the Karnataka government to announce an emergency relief grant to assist affected individuals.
Legislative Council member S.L. Bojegowda, who is currently in Dubai, said clarity on the evolving situation is expected shortly. He stated that Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been requested to sanction an emergency relief fund of Rs 2 crore to support distressed Kannadigas. According to him, the Minister has assured that the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister.
Dr. Aarthi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian Committee and MLC, said she remains in constant contact with Gulf embassies and non-resident Kannadigas in the region. She added that updates are being regularly shared with the Karnataka government and that she is extending full cooperation to the Kannadigas Helpline team.
Karnataka NRI Forum President Praveen Shetty said non-resident Kannadigas in the UAE are safe and that local authorities have implemented necessary safety measures. He urged people not to panic or circulate unverified information on social media.
Hidayat Addur, Coordinator of the Kannadigas Helpline and BCCI UAE President, said the team is working round-the-clock to assist stranded individuals, including facilitating access to medical services when required.
Karnataka Sangha Dubai President Shashidhar Nagarajappa assured that helpline volunteers are available across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman to support Kannadigas in need.
Several community leaders and representatives participated in the meeting, including Daya Kirodian, Chandru Lingadalli, Mallikarjuna Gowda, Imran Khan, Shweta Jadhav, Manohar Hegde, Nagaraja Rao, Samad Birali, Salim Moodubidire, Samshuddin Piligudu, Rock Karnataka Sangh President Ramesh Rangappa and Kannada Pathashale Dubai representative Girish Worate.
