Ten New Zealand players and support staff, along with 10 West Indies players and support staff who returned from the United Arab Emirates after taking part in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), on Thursday, returned negative for Covid-19 in the latest round of testing.
“The second of three Covid-19 tests for the ten New Zealand players and support staff, and the ten West Indies players and support staff currently in managed isolation, have all been returned as negative,” New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.
These tests were conducted specifically for the entire IPL contingent that had arrived from the UAE on November 14 and then went into quarantine.
After clearing their final Covid-19 tests on November 26, the players will join their rest of the teammates.
“The two groups will have their final tests on Day 12 and, results permitting, will leave managed isolation next November 26,” the statement added.
New Zealand and West Indies play three T20Is and two Test matches in November and December. The T20I series begins in Auckland with the first game (on November 27) and then moves to Mount Maunganui for the remaining two T20I games (November 29 and 30). The two Test matches will be played in Hamilton (December 3-7) and Wellington (December 11-15).