The Brisbane Heat duo of Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence has been handed a first of its kind restriction for their upcoming Big Bash League encounter against Syndey Thunder, after a possible breach of the Covid-19 bio-bubble.
Lynn and Lawrence reportedly came in contact with members of the public and are now being investigated by Cricket Australia for a possible bubble breach. They have been permitted to play against Thunder by CA but will be required to maintain ‘physical distance’ from their teammates and staff along with the opponents and match officials. Both the players have tested negative for Covid-19 since Saturday, December 12.
Lynn and Lawrence will also be required to use separate dressing rooms than their teammates and can’t use the team dugout. The situation is all the more complicated for Lynn who leads the team and now will have to dish out instructions to teammates from a distance.
A socially distanced team talk at Manuka Oval. Chris Lynn & Dan Lawrence cleared to play but “required to maintain a physical distance from other players and match officials” while CA investigate a possible breach of COVID protocols #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/8xDClmKtgF
— Martin Smith (@martinsmith9994) December 14, 2020
“They must maintain a physical distance on and particularly off the field (indoors) with teammates, opposing players, staff and match officials,” John Orchard, CA’s Chief Medical Officer said in a statement. “We have protocols in place for all matches for interaction between those inside and outside the hub.
“Factors including the outdoor nature of the contest, the generally socially-distanced nature of cricket on-field and the fact Canberra is considered a low-risk city support the conclusion that both can play tonight without posing a meaningful risk.”
Sean Carroll, CA’s head of security, said: “It is important we maintain the integrity of the bio-secure hub to ensure the safety of the public, players, staff and officials and minimise issues associated with travel between state borders during the tournament.”
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“While we are fortunate to live in a country with a low rate of infection compared with many other parts of the world, we are still in the midst of a global pandemic and, as we’ve seen on a number of occasions in Australia, COVID-19 breakouts and border closures remain a genuine risk.”
Lawrence, the 23-year-old uncapped all-rounder, was recently included in England’s Test squad for their tour of Sri Lanka in January.
