After seven players and support staff in the original England team had been reported to have contracted COVID-19, a revised 18-man squad was named by the ECB to play in the ongoing ODI series versus Pakistan. The 18 players named include nine uncapped players. As decided earlier, the side was to be led by Ben Stokes.
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ECB MD Ashley Giles Weighs in
In a statement to the media, Ashley Giles, the managing director of England Wales cricket, said, “We’re in unprecedented territory in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I’m proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done.”
Giles added, “It’s a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it’s not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago.”
Original Squad in Isolation
After the results of COVID-19 tests taken on 5 July, the squad that was initially selected went into isolation. The ACB has not disclosed the names of the players and staff who tested positive. The rest of the squad had to isolate themselves after being identified as close contacts. The white-ball series will feature three ODIs and three T20Is. The initial squad is expected to play in the T20 series scheduled to begin on 16 July.
According to the ECB, the majority of those who tested positive have not shown any symptoms though some are said to be feeling unwell. Every member of the initial squad had received at least one dose of vaccination; however, all players were not fully vaccinated. In a statement to the media, Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, was quoted as saying, “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.”