The remainder of the ODI series between Ireland and UAE gets postponed after more players test positive for COVID-19.
After UAE won the first ODI by six wickets, the two teams had been in preparation for the remainder of their four-match series. However, it was upon knowing that more players of the UAE squad tested positive for COVID-19 that the series had to be postponed.
UAE player Alishan Sharafu is the third player to have tested positive for the virus after teammates Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra had it first. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that all of the touring members of the Ireland team have tested negative.
An official statement from Emirates Cricket Board said, ‘Emirates Cricket Board has confirmed that tomorrow's match against Ireland has been suspended. This decision, supported by Cricket Ireland, was made after a new directive was received from authorities’.
‘This followed over 48 hours of self-isolation by the UAE team after four reported positive cases of COVID-19. Additionally, the directive from the authorities requires the UAE team to remain in quarantine for an extended period of time’, the statement added.
The board has also explained how discussions are still being made between all of those who make up the concerned parties. One of the things that are still being settled is the rescheduling of the remaining matches. They also stated that they will make an announcement once they have reached an approved agreement.
In cooperation with the ECB, Cricket Ireland also released a statement which said, ‘Cricket Ireland thanks the Emirates Cricket Board and Abu Dhabi Cricket for their transparency and cooperation at this time, and will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days. As always, the health and safety of players and support staff will remain Cricket Ireland's priority. We will endeavour to keep fans updated as circumstances evolve’.
Following the announcement of the two cricket boards, the second ODI which was supposed to be played last January 12 has now been rescheduled to January 16. So far, the odds for the game are -250 for Ireland and +182 for UAE. To learn more about the odds of other upcoming matches, check out Betwala.
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