LONDON, CMC – If West Indies’ three-Test tour of England is to go ahead later this year in the face of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, players could face two weeks or more of strict quarantine in the build-up to the series.
Though no firm decision has been made regarding the series, one proposal could see players from both teams and officials undergoing a minimum two-week quarantine prior, along with being subjected to regular testing.
On arrival in the United Kingdom, West Indies players would have to enter quarantine at a hotel close to the ground, before travelling to the venue.
In addition, games would be staged at “bio-secure” venues like Manchester, Southampton and Headingley which boast hotels on location, and also played behind closed doors in July, with the original June itinerary all but ruled out.
“The key is to have a two week period that offers a completely closed system where the virus can’t get in before you can clear someone to enter the virus-free zone,” Zach Binney, an epidemiologist from Emory University told the Telegraph here. The United Kingdom has been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 virus, recording 138 000 cases and nearly 19 000 deaths. Last month, the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended all professional cricket until May 28.
Health professionals here believe the UK has reached its peak of infections but testing remains far behind their European neighbours and Professor Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist and data scientist at the University of Edinburgh, says this could have an impact on preparations for the series.
“[The quarantine period] could very well be more [than two weeks],” he said. “The problem is there is still uncertainty over how good testing is.”
Binney said family of the host team could remain with them but would also have to opt for quarantine. He also stressed players would not be able to return home between matches to visit family.
Players would also have to be quarantined for another two weeks following the series to mitigate against risk of transmission..
Kao said while the plan was a feasible one, there were still still associated risks.
“There isn’t any reason it couldn’t work but there would be a fair bit of risk,” he pointed out.
“If one person was found infected, then with a group of people in close contact for a prolonged period – as a team and its support staff would be – then it would be quarantine for at least a few weeks.
“Plus, if they’d played recently, it’s hard to imagine not also quarantining the other team.”
Binney agreed the plan could work but warned it was contingent on the level of infections in the UK in coming months.
“The organisers sound like they’re thinking of a lot of the right things – doing this without fans, isolating players and support staff at a single site,” he said.
“This seems like one of the more plausible plans I’ve heard – it’s not happening until July, it involves a relatively small number of people and it can be done at a handful of isolated sites. All of these make it more likely.
“But there’s still a lot of uncertainty because it depends on what the COVID-19 situation looks like in the UK in four months.”
The tour was originally carded to run from June 4-29, with matches scheduled for the Oval in London, Edgbaston in Birmingham and historic Lord’s.
Discussions are continuing between the ECB and Cricket West Indies on whether the tour will be played.
