England await results on Sri Lanka tour arrival
The England squad in Sri Lanka is nervously awaiting the results from its latest round of Covid-19 testing, with Moeen Ali departing the team hotel after being diagnosed with the virus.
The tour received an early setback, when Moeen was confirmed as positive following a round of tests on arrival at the airport in Hambantota. The all-rounder is now obliged to quarantine for a 10-day period ending on January 13 – the day before the first Test in Galle.
The remainder of the travelling party – including Chris Woakes, who is facing a seven-day isolation having been identified as a close contact of Moeen – were retested at their team base in Hambantota.
The screening consisted of four swabs, two for a quick turnaround lateral flow test and two for a more sophisticated PCR.
Should the latter show a w i d e r l e ve l o f i n fe c t i o n among the squad the seriousness of the outbreak would be escalated, with managing director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles on site to lead any logistical discussions.
He performed a similar role in South Africa, when the decision was made to abandon the tour after a series of positive tests inside the players’ bubble, but England are hoping the strict measures in place on the trip will prevent such drastic action this time. Squad members were disinfected with spray guns after disembarking their charter flight on Sunday and have been subsequently confined to their rooms at the ShangriLa Hotel.
If any spread has been contained the players will be free to begin outdoor training and work towards acclimatisation for the heat and humidity.