Photo Credit: Cricket Ireland
With the Ireland Men’s squad due to depart Florida for Jamaica tomorrow, a final round of PCR tests has revealed two Irish players have tested positive for COVID.
Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate registered positive tests and have been isolated, with a mandatory 10-day quarantine. George Dockrell was a further concern, but has subsequently been found to have registered a false positive.
The players will likely re-join the squad in Jamaica around 9 January, dependent upon subsequent PCR tests showing negative results.
Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:
“It is a challenging time for all, but the players have responded very well to operating within the Managed Environment over the last two weeks. A Managed Environment is different to a bio-bubble, and is an approach being used currently to try and find that balance between risk mitigation from the virus and impacts of sustained periods of isolation on the mental and physical health needs of players and staff.
“Part of this new approach is the ability to have several partners travel with the squad, however, these additional people are required to abide by the same testing and travel protocols as the players.
“However, the transmissibility of this latest strain of the virus has not spared us – nor indeed the USA squad nor the umpires in our recent series – and overnight three players have now tested positive [note: one player has now been given the all clear]. These are the only three Irish players to date that have tested positive since entering the Managed Environment, albeit we also have two players isolating as registered ‘close contacts’ of positive cases too. These latter players tested negative subsequently, but will need to do so again before they join the squad in Jamaica.
“We have seen sport all around the world negatively impacted by this virus still, and like all sporting organisations trying to continue with sport during the pandemic, we are adapting quickly and responding to the needs of those in our duty of care.
“We have an extended squad with us on this tour, so will be able to cope with these absences pending no further outbreaks.
“We are also working closely with Cricket West Indies to ensure that both parties are satisfied with the current arrangements in place.”
In other tour party updates from previous news:
• Harry Tector and Gareth Delany have both successfully completed their quarantine periods and will travel to Jamaica with the squad tomorrow;
• Andrew Balbirnie and Andy McBrine, previously being listed as close contacts of positive cases, will likely join the squad in Jamaica after 2 January as long as they demonstrate negative results prior to departure;
• Amongst the support staff: Mark Rausa (Head of Physiotherapy and Medicine), who is isolating, will likely join the squad in Jamaica after 6 January as long as he demonstrates a negative result prior to departure; and Brendan Connor will fly out as further support staff cover.
Tour details
Match schedule – at Sabina Park
• January 8: 1st CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)
• January 11: 2nd CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)
• January 14: 3rd CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)
• January 16: T20I International – 4pm (5pm Eastern Caribbean / 9pm Ireland)
A warm-up match prior to the first ODI will be announced in due course.
The Squads
ODI squad for the West Indies fixtures:
Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
T20I squad for the West Indies fixture:
Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
