NZ vs WI 2020: Players coming from IPL test COVID-19 negative a second time
A total of 20 New Zealand and West Indies players, along with their support staff, cleared the second of their three COVID-19 tests on Thursday. The tests are being conducted specifically for the IPL players who flew in from the United Arab Emirates on November 14.
The West Indies are in New Zealand to play two Tests and three T20Is, starting November 27.
But the quarantined players need to return negative a third time next week, meaning they will get just one training session after joining the rest of their teammates in the bio-secure bubble on November 26.
The West Indies players are currently in Queenstown for the first of two T20 warm-up games against New Zealand A, before going into the series opener in Auckland.
Earlier last week, Windies players from two different bubbles broke COVID-19 protocols at their Christchurch hotel, following which they were barred from training for the remainder of their two-week managed isolation.
Though the incident raised questions on the “bubble integrity of the quarantine facility", there was no news that the main bubble was breached by any of the squad members.
Complete schedule and squad lists of New Zealand vs West Indies 2020 (in IST)
1st T20I: November 27 – Eden Park, Auckland – 11:30 AM
2nd T20I: November 29 – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui – 6:30 AM
3rd T20I: November 30 – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui – 11:30 AM
1st Test: December 3-7 – Seddon Park, Hamilton – 3:30 AM
2nd Test: December 11-15 – Basin Reserve, Wellington – 3:30 AM
New Zealand T20I squad: Tim Southee (c), Devon Conway, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, James Neesham, Scott Kuggeleijn, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Hamish Benett, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Doug Bracewell
West Indies T20I squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Andre Fletcher, Nicholas Pooran, Sheldom Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Kesrick Williams, Romario Shepherd
New Zealand Test squad: Kane Williamson (c), Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Tom Blundell, Tom Latham, BJ Watling, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner
West Indies Test squad: Jason Holder (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Shimron Hetmyer, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rakheem Cornwall, Keemo Paul, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach