England ODI squad in isolation after virus outbreak

An outbreak of the coronavirus in England’s One-Day International squad forced it into isolation on Tuesday.

Tests on Monday, a day after the team’s last ODI against Sri Lanka in Bristol, revealed seven infections among three players and four staff. None were named.

The squad has gone into isolation dating from Sunday, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.

The six-match limited-overs series against Pakistan, starting on Wednesday with the first ODI in Cardiff, was still going ahead.

England planned to name a new squad on Tuesday to be captained by Ben Stokes.

“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.”