West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has been forced into isolation after a co-passenger on his flight from the United Kingdom (UK) to St. Kitts and Nevis tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
He is doubtful for the Jamaica Tallawahs’ opening game in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2021) against the St Lucia Kings on Friday (August 27).
The CPL 2021 is set to begin on August 26.
Brathwaite traveled from Manchester to Basseterre for the CPL after captaining Manchester Originals in the Hundred, but a fellow passenger on the flight tested positive for COVID-19 and he was told to isolate until further notice.
However, the all-rounder’s COVID-19 test reports have come negative, but he has been put in quarantine and is unsure to play in the first match of CPL 2021 against Saint Lucia Kings.
Brathwaite said from his hotel room, “My tests have been negative as far as I know. We've been asked to be in quarantine. I still don't know the full extent of it. I've just been told I need to continue to quarantine as opposed to being allowed to walk around the hotel as was initially allowed. So I'm just as much in the dark as you are, unfortunately.”
On his participation in the Tallawahs' opening clash with Saint Lucia Kings on Friday in the CPL 09, the all-rounder said: “(I'm) not sure. I haven't actually received anything official yet to know when day one is and how many days of quarantine, etc. So yeah, I'm just skipping in my room and doing sit-ups and hoping to be at least physically ready to go if I can.”
Brathwaite said of the Tallawahs’ campaign in the upcoming CPL 09, “The tournament is going to be interesting. I don't think it will be an undefeated run to the finals as Trinidad had last year. I think it will be a little closer. I think all the teams are more evenly matched. I feel as though we have a few potential match-winners. Myself, Russell, Rovman Powell obviously in the middle.”
He signed off by saying, “Our spin attack, we've lost Mujeeb and we've lost Sandeep but we have Qais Ahmad, Veerasammy Permaul, and Chris Green. So when you look at it that's a real balanced spin attack, left-arm orthodox, right-arm offspinner, leg-break bowler.”
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
