New Zealand cricket team’s Test fleet arrived in London from Auckland via Singapore on Sunday night. The Kiwis will play a 2-match Test series against England at the start of the tour. Then there is the final match of the first edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
The final of the first ICC Test Championship will be played between New Zealand and India from June 18 in Southampton. Earlier, the Kiwis will play two Tests against the hosts. The Kiwi team that went to England on this mission has been taken for a two-week quarantine at Ageas Bowl in Southampton. They will undergo 14-day quarantine there.
A statement from the New Zealand Cricket Board states that the cricketer and other team members have started the proper Covid-19 rules from the start of their arrival in England.
The Kiwis have been asked to be extra careful throughout the tour to reduce the chances of getting infected with Covid-19. Everyone in the Kiwi fleet has been asked to check their health condition every day of the tour.
The first 3 days of a 2-week quarantine must be completed in isolation. For the next 3 days, they will be able to practice in small groups of 6. However, the precondition for this is that they will have to get tested negative in the Covid-19 test.
Meanwhile, Tim Southee, BJ Watling, Ross Taylor, and Neil Wagner left for England on Monday afternoon. On the same day, some other New Zealand cricketers and support staff arrived in England from the Maldives, who took part in the IPL, where captain Kane Williamson, Kyle Jamieson, and Mitchell Santner were there.
New Zealand will play a 3-day warm-up match between May 26 and 28. The 2-match Test series will start on June 2 at Lord’s. The second match of the series will be held on June 10 in Edgbaston.
On the other hand, the BCCI has directed every member of the Indian Test team to be present in Mumbai on May 19. Before that, cricketers and support staff will have to perform 3 RT-PCR tests at home. Virat Kohli & Co. will be able to enter the team hotel only if there is a negative report in all the 3 instances. The BCCI has said that India will leave for England after a 14-day quarantine session in Mumbai.
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