U-19 World Cup: Two Players From West Indies Team Test Covid Positive; Replacements Named

Two players from the West Indies squad -- Onaje Amory and Jaden Carmichael -- have tested positive for Covid-19 at the ongoing Under-19 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced, just hours before the Caribbean side's match against Sri Lanka on Friday. Temporary replacements for the two players have already been named.

The tournament's Event Technical Committee has allowed Kevin Wickham and Nathan Edwards as temporary replacements for the two players who will now serve an isolation period.

"The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2022 has approved Kevin Wickham and Nathan Edwards as replacements for Onaje Amory and Jaden Carmichael in the West Indies squad," the ICC said in a statement.

"Wickham and Edwards are temporary replacements for Amory and Carmichael who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing a period of isolation. A Covid replacement can be temporary, in that once the player has recovered he would be eligible to return to the squad in the position of the player that replaced him," it added.

Off-spinner Amory is the only West Indies bowler to complete all ten overs in the two games they have played so far, taking three wickets with an economy rate of 3.75 while Carmichael has not yet played a game.

West Indies are the third team to be affected by Covid-19 at this tournament. Four players from Zimbabwe tested positive in early January, and at least five India players returned positive tests too, a few days ago.

So far, West Indies have one win and one loss at the Under-19 World Cup. They lost their opening fixture against Australia by six wickets before beating Scotland by seven wickets. If they beat Sri Lanka on Friday, they will set up a quarter-final clash against Pakistan, Zimbabwe, or Afghanistan.