"It will be absolute chaos at ECB towers right now"- Nasser Hussain after 7 England members test positive for COVID-19
With three England players and four members of the backroom staff testing positive for COVID-19, Nasser Hussain believes things will be in absolute chaos at the ECB headquarters.
England are set to play Pakistan in a limited-overs series starting on July 8. However, the ECB will have to pick an entirely new squad of 16 as the current group has been put into self-isolation. Apart from the players, backroom staff have also been placed in isolation after the outbreak of the virus in the team's bio-bubble.
Ben Stokes will lead the England side against Pakistan and a new squad will be announced soon.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain weighed in on the gravity of the situation and said:
"It will cause chaos. They will have to pick a completely different squad- that 16 players and the backroom staff and coaches ruled out. They will have to pull the bulk of those players out of county cricket. There's a round of County Championship games going on now and all those counties will have to replace those players and get them tested. The players pulled out will have to get to Cardiff and get tested to enter the bubble. So it will be absolute chaos at ECB towers right now."
Despite the recent outbreak, Nasser Hussain praised the England Cricket Board for how well they have managed things over the last 15 months.
"England board had to ease that bubble slightly"- Nasser Hussain
The England and Wales Cricket Board recently allowed spectators in for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. The restrictions for the players were also seemingly eased out. Despite the recent outbreak, Nasser Hussain asserted that the ECB had to ease the bubble protocols for the sake of players' mental health.
"They had to ease that bubble slightly, the cricketers have been going around the world in bubbles and just for the sake of their mental health - when they turn up to a ground and see normal society out there, doing things and being relaxed slightly. That's what they had to do with their players."
It is being reported that the ECB will call up a number of county players for the Pakistan series. The series is expected to continue as scheduled and will begin on 8th July in Cardiff.