FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (CMC):
Veteran all-rounder Paul Stirling is one of two Ireland players who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are likely to miss the opening matches of the four-match white-ball series against West Indies (WI), starting next month in Jamaica.
The 31-year-old, a right-hander with over 7,000 runs in the white-ball format who also bowls off-spin, returned a positive test, along with fast bowler Shane Getkate, in the final round of testing before the contingent’s scheduled departure for the Caribbean on New Year’s Eve.
Left-arm spinner George Dockrell suffered a false positive and has now been cleared.
For Ireland, the positive cases are yet another blow to their preparation for the series against West Indies, following the cancellation of the One-Day International series against United States earlier this week after two members of their support staff tested positive, along with several partners of players.
Players Harry Tector and Gareth Delany also tested positive prior to joining the squad after featuring in the US T20 Open, while the duo of Andrew Balbirnie and Andy McBrine were forced into quarantine after being identified as close contacts of positive cases.
Tector and Delany will travel with the squad to Jamaica, however, after completing their isolation, but Balbirnie and McBrine are expected to join the contingent in Kingston after January 2, once completing their quarantine period and returning negative tests.
“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,” said high performance director, Richard Holdsworth.
“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.”
Ireland played two Twenty20 Internationals against the USA but the opening fixture of the ODIs was pushed back because of COVID-19 concerns, before the entire series was scrapped.
They take on West Indies in three ODIs from January 8-14 and in a single T20 International on January 16, with all matches scheduled for Sabina Park.
CONSTANT COMMUNICATION
Holdsworth said Cricket Ireland was in constant communication with Cricket West Indies, especially in light of the new developments.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”