Serious threat to Asia Cup 2023 as two Sri Lankan players test positive for COVID-19
The premier Asian cricket tournament is being jointly hosted in a hybrid model by Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 to September 17.
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Aug 25, 2023 1:58 pm
Sri Lanka (Source: Twitter)
COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had a severe impact on all industries, including sports. With the use of vaccines and adherence to protocols, the transmission of the virus decreased and life slowly returned to normal in the world of sports and everywhere else. However, the deadly virus has come back to haunt the cricketing world with two Sri Lankan players reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus.
According to reports, Sri Lanka opener Avishka Fernando and wicket-keeper batter Kusal Perera have both tested positive for COVID-19. With less than a week to go before the start of the 2023 Asia Cup, this update has the cricketing fraternity worried. The pandemic had halted play for nearly two-and-a-half years, and now that major tournaments, including the ODI World Cup, are set to take place later this year, it is becoming a headache for the Cricket Governing Body.
The premier Asian cricket tournament is being jointly hosted in a hybrid model by Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 to September 17. While Pakistan will host four matches, the remaining nine matches, including India‘s games, will be played in Sri Lanka. The reigning Asia Cup champions will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on August 31 at the Pallekale International Stadium in Pallekale. Meanwhile, the Men in Blue are set to play their first match against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy.
Fernando and Perera may miss the 2023 Asia Cup
Fernando had also tested positive for the virus ahead of Sri Lanka’s ODI series against Zimbabwe in February last year. Notably, he was infected two weeks after being administered a booster dose of the Covid vaccine. On the other hand, Perera tested positive for the virus ahead of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs series against South Africa in August 2021.
Sri Lanka are yet to announce their squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, but Fernando and Perera were very likely to be included. However, it is now unclear whether they will be picked in the squad for at least the initial few matches as they have contracted the virus.
