After serving his extended Coronavirus quarantine, England all-rounder Moeen Ali on Saturday (January 16) was allowed to join his teammates in Galle.
Moeen returned COVID-19 positive after landing in Sri Lanka on January 4 and was told to isolate for 10 days.
After authorities in Sri Lanka insisted that Moeen remains isolated for a while longer in light of a new strain of the virus, his isolation period was extended to 13 days.
"It's great to have Mo back. When we walked into the changing room after one of the sessions today, we saw Mo and just saw the smile on everyone's faces," ESPNcricinfo quoted Sam Curran as saying.
"He's obviously had a really tough couple of weeks and no-one wants to get into the situation he was in. Thankfully he got through that okay, and we're all really excited to have him back in the group to play cricket again, because we all know what an awesome player he is, and to be around," he added.
Moeen Ali’s last Test appearance was against Australia during the Ashes 2019. Subsequently, he took a break from the longest format of the game having missed England's central contract.
"I'm sure tomorrow when he has a run around it will be nice for him to get back playing cricket but to be honest I don't really know when he'll be back," Curran said.
"I'm sure everyone's just really looking forward to having Mo back. I'm sure he'll start training tomorrow," he added.
Earlier this week, two staff members at England's team hotel in Sri Lanka returned COVID-19 positive. However, the ECB on Friday (January 15) said that nobody is concerned as they are adhering to the protocols.
"We are not concerned. Our protocols have been excellent and we continue to be vigilant. We are the most compliant team in world cricket. We are the only international team in any sport to have a COVID compliance officer. He is responsible for ensuring we meet the highest of standards across our COVID protocols. We remain vigilant and respectful of the Sri Lankan authorities and we will do everything that is possible to keep our players and the general population safe," ECB’s spokesperson said in a statement.
"We are being vigilant around our team base in Galle and at the stadium. The players respect social distancing, wear masks in indoor settings, and at the hotel dine on individual tables. Our COVID compliance officer briefs the players and management on a daily basis and communicates the latest developments both in Sri Lanka and in the UK," he added.
(With ANI inputs)
