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England speedster Jofra Archer will undergo a second test for COVID-19 after testing negative in the first round. He will join the England national team in their bio-secure training camp ahead of the three-match Test series against West Indies only after testing negative for the virus in the second test.
The second test was necessitated after a member of Archer’s household felt unwell over the weekend, thus delaying his arrival at the camp, informed the England and Wales Cricket Board.
In a statement, the ECB said, “Archer, and members of his household, have tested negative for COVID-19. He will have a second test tomorrow, and if he tests negative, he will join up with the training group on Thursday.”
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Earlier, Archer had said that it would be exciting for him to be a part of the upcoming series against the West Indies as it will mark the return of international cricket which has been in a standstill for the past three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
England and West Indies will face each other in a bio-secure environment. The first Test is scheduled to be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton (July 8-12) with the second and third matches at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 16-20 and then July 24-28.
“It’s exciting that England and West Indies will be the teams to start world cricket back up again, laying down the platform for other countries to follow,” Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“Obviously as the only cricket on, all eyes will be on it, and I expect that there will be a lot more television viewers than would have been the case had things been normal.
“I expect people who don’t usually watch cricket will tune in — because it’s live sport, not pre-recorded. If they are like me they will have had their fill of re-runs,” the Barbados-born pacer added.
With IANS input
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