West Indies have lost their right to train while isolating ahead of their tour of New Zealand due to minor breaches of quarantine regulations.
The Windies squad has been in New Zealand for 12 days ahead of a tour which includes three T20s and two Tests.
After passing two rounds of Covid testing in isolation in Christchurch, they were allowed to train in two bubbles. But security footage from the team hotel showed players mingling and sharing food in hallways.
As a result, players will now be confined to their hotel rooms for the remainder of the two-week quarantine period, which could be extended subject to testing.
“It is a privilege to come here but in return they have to stick to the rules,” said New Zealand’s director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield.
“Keeping Covid-19 out of our communities and keeping our staff safe depends on it. They didn’t do that, despite agreeing to abide by the parameters of the exemption.”
Johnny Grave, chief executive of Cricket West Indies, expressed disappointment at the breaches, admitting it was “a huge blow" to their preparation for the tour.
“We’ve written to our players to emphasise the importance of following the protocols,” he said. “My disappointment is our players are maybe the most experienced in the world at dealing with these strict quarantine measures.”
West Indies spent months in bio-secure bubbles in Manchester and Southampton earlier this year for the tour of England, without incident.
