Australia pacer Kane Richardson has been quarantined after reporting a mild sore throat on Thursday night. As a result, the right-arm fast bowler has been ruled out of the first ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand which started Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Richardson was part of the Australian ODI squad that returned from South Africa this week. The 29-year-old speedster informed the team’s medical staff of the complaint on Thursday and has been tested for COVID-19.
“Our medical staff are treating this as a typical throat infection but we are following Australian Government protocols that require us to keep Kane away from other members of the squad and perform the appropriate tests given he has returned from international travel in the last 14 days,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said as quoted by their official website.
“Once we receive the results of the tests and Kane recovers in the next few days we expect he will re-join the team. We will not be making further comment until something changes,” it added.
In the wake of the novel coronavirus, Cricket Australia has announced that the Australia’s ongoing three-match ODI series against New Zealand will be played in front of empty stands. As a result, the ongoing first ODI between the two sides has no spectators at the SCG.