London:
Star England pacer Jofra Archer was on Thursday cleared to join his teammates at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies after he was tested COVID-19 negative for the second time.
The 25-year-old Archer did not join the team’s training earlier after a member of his household fell ill. He had tested negative for COVID-19 the first time too but the decision to go through another test was a precautionary measure. “Jofra Archer has tested negative for COVID-19. He will join the England camp at Ageas Bowl later today and will be free to start training tomorrow with the rest of the group,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) tweeted on Thursday.
The ECB on Wednesday had said in a statement that the Sussex bowler will join England’s closed-door training camp on Thursday after a member of his household felt unwell over the weekend. “Archer, and members of his household, have tested negative for COVID-19. He will have a second test on Wednesday, and if he tests negative, he will join up with the training group on Thursday,” the ECB statement had said.
Besides Archer, all other English cricketers vying for places in the squad for the upcoming Test series also returned negative for COVID-19. The ECB said on Wednesday that a total of 702 COVID-19 tests were carried out between June 3 and June 23 with “several stakeholder groups” working at Southampton and Manchester with some being tested multiple times.
“We can confirm that all 702 tests were negative,” the ECB had said in a statement. “The England & Wales Cricket Board can confirm that 702 COVID-19 tests were carried out between 3 June and 23 June with several stakeholder groups working at the bio-secure venues of the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford. “These groups include players, support staff, match officials, ECB staff, venue staff and hotel staff.” England are currently training ahead of their three-Test series against the West Indies, starting with the opening game on July 8 at the Ageas Bowl. The second and third Test will be held at Emirates Old Trafford.
The series makes the resumption of international cricket, which was suspended abruptly in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak..
