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The Big Bash League's (BBL) Covid-19 crisis seems to be unending after the, Melbourne Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell, became the 13th player from the club to test positive for the deadly virus.
On Wednesday (January 5), Maxwell was confirmed to have tested a positive rapid antigen test following the Melbourne derby against the Renegades on Monday and is now awaiting the results of a PCR test.
The deadly impact of the Covid pandemic forced the Melbourne team to call-up Victorian club cricketers in order to field a full team for their last two games.
Three other BBL clubs had previously reported cases of Covid-19, with Brisbane Heat yesterday (January 4) compelled to pull out of their match against the Sydney Sixers on the Gold Coast following the positive tests.
Josh Kann identified as a close contact
The Scorchers and Sydney Thunder have also had players contract the virus, while Hobart Hurricanes allrounder Josh Kann was ruled out of the match against the Strikers after being identified as a close contact.
There are rumours that all the eight teams can be moved to Victoria to allow flexibility in the fixtures if there are further positive cases and the league says the Gold Coast example has shown the significance of having multiple teams in the same location.
"The League and Clubs have learned to be nimble in the current environment and we are pleased that we have found a solution to help safeguard all three matches so quickly," Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, said in an official statement.
Players on edge
Earlier, Stars allrounder Hilton Cartwright confessed the unpredictability regarding the schedule and the spread of the virus in the Stars camp had left him and other players on edge.
"I've never felt more vulnerable to a virus in my entire life and I never realised how much it was going to affect my mental state," Cartwright said.
"Myself and my wife have basically been locked up in our room, not sure if we're capable of catching the lift in case someone in there might have caught (COVID-19).
"My mental state wasn't in a great place about coming to your workplace and COVID is basically running rampant.”
