England Test captain Joe Root is likely to miss the series-opening Test of the three-match Test against West Indies beginning at the Ageas Bowl from July 8 to attend the birth of his second child.

The right-hander and his wife Carrie are expecting their second child at the same time when the Southampton Test gets underway, making the skipper most likely to miss the series opener.

Read Also: Family concern main reason why Bravo, Hetmyer, Keemo Paul opted out of England tour: CWI 

Britain’s self-isolation rule might delay the return of Root to cricket, as he will have to undergo seven days of self-isolation after attending the birth of his child, which means the Test captain is highly unlikely for the first Test against West Indies as his wife Carrie is due around the same time.

Root had reportedly conveyed his decision to attend the birth of his second child even if it forces him to miss out on the first international game since the coronavirus-forced hiatus.

According to the guidelines by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Root will need to self-isolate for seven days before rejoining the national team, however, the self-isolation rule may be relaxed by next month seeing the COVID-19 situation in the UK.

Read Also: Former Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar recovers after testing COVID-19 positive 

The first Test will be held from July 8-12 Southampton while the remaining two Test matches will be held at Old Trafford on July 16-20 and July 24-28 respectively. The West Indies team will arrive in the UK on June 9 and will travel to Old Trafford for quarantining and training.

Noteworthy, the England-West Indies Test series, which is still subject to the final approval of the UK government, is scheduled to be played in a bio-secure environment amid the COVID-19 threat.

The much-awaited Test series will mark the return of international cricket which has been suspended since mid-March due to the global outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

(With PTI Inputs)