The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that players who test positive for Covid-19 will be allowed to participate in the T20 World Cup matches. The multi-national tournament, which features 16 teams, got underway on October 16 (Saturday) in Australia with the final of the competition scheduled to be played on November 13.
Moreover, the rules have been significantly relaxed as players won't be subjected to mandatory Covid tests during the course of the tournament. Furthermore, if a player contracts the dreaded virus, he won't have to serve a mandatory isolation period as well. In such a scenario when a player contracts the virus, the team doctors will have to assess whether 'it is appropriate' for the player to participate in the match.
The teams will have the luxury to make changes to their squad in case a player tests positive for the virus. Once the player recovers from the disease, he can then make his way back into the squad.
The rules are similar to what was witnessed during the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, when Australia's all-rounder Tahlia McGrath participated in the gold-medal match against India despite returning a Covid-positive test earlier in the day.
Commenting on the more relaxed Covid rules for the T20 World Cup, Australia's star pacer Pat Cummins told reporters, "It's a totally different dynamic."
"The team went out for dinner last night and we actually were chatting about it, (saying) 'this is the first time we've done this for about three years.
'It's great fun. It's one of the main things we all love about playing for your country – you get to go and see new places and experience different things," he added.
