The New Zealand men’s cricket team along with the coaches and support staff have been put under self-isolation for 14 days after returning from Australia last week. The move comes after the New Zealand government made it mandatory for travelers to self isolate themselves after returning from foreign countries in the wake of the coronavirus threat.
The New Zealand Cricket confirmed that all 15 cricketers along with the support staff, who returned from Sydney last Saturday, are in lockdown as per the directives of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
NZC public affairs manager Richard Boock said: “They (Black Caps players and touring staff) have all gone into self-isolation.”
“We’ve passed on all the details about what self-isolation means and as far as we know they’re all following it strictly.”
The Black Caps had landed in Australia for a short series, but the tour was postponed midway after the outbreak of the deadly virus. However, the two sides did play the first game of the Chappell Hadlee Trophy before closed doors, in which the Kiwis faced a 71-run loss.
The two Trans Tasman rivals were to take part in a three-match T20I series as well, which was to begin from March 24 and go on till March 29. The South African cricket team too has been put under self-isolation after they returned from India. The first match of that series had been washed out due to rain, while the other two games were called off due to the pandemic.