All cricketers, officials test negative sans Mahmudul Hasan

Publish: 7:17 PM, November 21, 2020 | Update: 7:17 PM, November 21, 2020

DHAKA, —Only one cricketer was tested positive for Covid-19 after 125 cricketers and officials underwent a test, organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The cricketer is Mahmudul Hasan Joy, a World Cup winning Under-19 member, who is playing for Gazi Group Chattogram. The corona test was conducted before sending the players and officials into the bio-bubble at the Hotel Sonargaon.

After being positive, Joy was sent to isolation at the National Cricket Academy of BCB while the others entered into the bio-bubble. The bio-secure environment was created for the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, which begins on Tuesday.

“ Mahmudul Hasan Joy was infected with Covid-19. He is in isolation now at the Academy building,” Gazi Group Chattogram manager Sheikh Sohel Rana confirmed.

Chattogram however started practice for the tournament sans Joy and is yet to take any decision whether they would replace him with someone else.

Any team can take the replacement of the player if he is diagnosed with the Covid-19, according to BCB rules. “But we have no such plan as of now. If Joy recovers from the virus, we’ll include him into the team,” manager Sohel Rana said.

Meanwhile, apart from players and officials, the BCB also conducted corona tests of the people including hotel staff, groundsman, broadcasters who will be involved in the forthcoming Bangabandhu Twenty20 Cup. It is learnt all of them returned negative in the test.