Covid-19 hits Afghanistan contingent in Sylhet, days after their arrival

12 members of the Afghanistan contingent tested positive for Covid-19. Eight of them are cricketers, three are part of the supporting staff and one of them is the wife of a player.

Afghanistan cricket team arrived in Bangladesh on 12 February to play three ODIs and two T20Is. The visitors headed to Sylhet for a seven-day conditioning camp on arrival and started training after serving the mandatory one-day quarantine. But just a day after that, as many as 12 members of the Afghanistan contingent tested positive for Covid-19. Eight of them are cricketers, three are part of the supporting staff and one of them is the wife of a player.

The matter has been confirmed to  a source inside the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Since the official date of commencement of the tour is 19 February, the BCB refused to disclose the details now.

The Afghanistan team are doing everything by themselves now and that’s why BCB’s physician Dr. Monjur Hossain Chowdhury did not give any official statement.

“The tour starts on 19 February officially. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) are managing everything now. That’s why we are not supposed to say much. Yes, some of their players tested positive for Covid-19 but we don’t know the exact number,” he.

Joydeb Das, the venue manager of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, is also aware of this. But he is not sure about the exact number of players testing positive too.

“I don’t know much. But their team practised in the afternoon. The players who have tested positive did not turn up,” he said.

After the week-long training camp in Sylhet, they will head to Chattogram for the ODI series. Chattogram will host all the three ODIs, which count towards the World Cup Super League. Dhaka will then stage the T20I series, with the tour scheduled to end on March 5.

The ODIs will start at 11:00am local time while the T20Is will begin at 3:00pm.