NZ cricketer Seifert tests positive for COVID-19
AUCKLAND: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Tim Seifert has tested positive for Covid-19 and is not travelling with New Zealand’s IPL players back home, a statement from the country’s cricket board said on Saturday.
The opening batsman, currently in Ahmedabad, will be flown to Chennai where he will undergo treatment in the same hospital where Australian Michael Hussey, the Chennai Super Kings bating coach, is being treated before returning to New Zealand.
“Tim Seifert has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be travelling back to New Zealand on the charter flight with New Zealand’s other Indian Premier League players, support staff and commentators,” said a statement from New Zealand Cricket on Saturday.
“Seifert, who represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, failed both his pre-departure PCR tests and as a result will be taken into quarantine. Immediate advice is that he is experiencing moderate symptoms,” the statement added.
Seifert becomes the third KKR player to test positive ater spinner Varun Chakravarthy and pace bowler Sandeep Warrier.
Both Chakravarthy and Warrier were the first ones to test positive in the IPL earlier this week. Following more positive tests, in the camps of Chennai Super Kings (Michael Hussey and L Balaji), Delhi Capitals (Amit Mishra) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Wriddhiman Saha) a day later, the IPL was indefinitely postponed on Tuesday.
“Once Seifert has undergone treatment and the statutory period of isolation and has tested negative for Covid-19, he will be transferred back to New Zealand where he will undergo the mandatory 14-day period of managed isolation,” added the NZC statement.
NZC chief executive David White said Seifert had returned seven negative tests in the 10 days leading up to his pre-departure protocols, and was confident he would be receiving the best of care from his franchise.
WILLIAMSON & CO MOVE TO MALDIVES AFTER ENTRY IN ENGLAND DELAYED: New Zealand Test players Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner and Kyle Jamieson, who were playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), have opted to spend extra days in Maldives instead of India ater their entry in England was delayed by a week.
The three have flown to Maldives from where they will travel to England ater about 10 days. They were supposed to fly to England from New Delhi on May 11 according to initial plans ater the postponement of IPL.
“There have been changes to the arrangements for New Zealand’s Uk-bound Test contingent, with Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, and physio Tommy Simsek, transferring to the Maldives (rather than staying in New Delhi) ahead of travelling to England,” said a statement from New Zealand Cricket.
“The decision for this group to transfer to the Maldives was taken ater advice that their entry into the UK, initially thought to be about May 11, was likely to be delayed a further week,” the statement added.
Williamson, Santner and Jamieson are part of New Zealand’s Test squad that will play two Test matches against England -- between June 2 and 14 as well as the World Test Championship final against India from June 18.