West Indies provisional squad receive COVID-19 vaccine
Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that 13 members of the red-ball training squad and team management received the COVID-19 vaccine in St Lucia on May 19. CWI has managed to acquire vaccines in partnership with the Government of St. Lucia, through the support of the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
Eleven cricketers from the training squad, who are currently preparing for the World Test Championship matches against South Africa, received their first dose of vaccination. Two cricketers also received their second dose of the vaccine on Wednesday. Incidentally, many cricketers have already received the COVID-19 vaccine in their home countries.
West Indies cricketers get vaccinated against COVID-19
Speaking after the vaccination drive, Cricket West Indies' Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Israel Dowlat, lauded the authorities for their support in getting the players vaccinated.
“CWI is fully committed to supporting the vaccination drive throughout the region. We are extremely grateful to have our governments and CARPHA, who have been partnering with us to host cricket safely and to get our squads vaccinated," said Israel Dowlat.
Cricket West Indies has played a pivotal role in encouraging people involved in the game to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19. Last week, several female cricketers, who are part of the training squad, received their first dose of vaccine.
Meanwhile, the West Indies men's squad is living in a secure bio-bubble environment ahead of their home fixtures. The team from the Caribbean Islands will begin their international assignment with a two-match Test series against South Africa starting June 10. They will then shift their focus to the limited-overs format.
The West Indies will play three back-to-back T20 International (T20I) series against South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan. This will be followed by a three-match ODI series against the Aussies. The home assignment will come to an end with a two-match Test series against Pakistan.