Bangladesh batsman, coach test positive for coronavirus

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that Test batsman Saif Hassan and Head of Physical Performance Nicholas Lee have tested positive for coronavirus.

The BCB stated that a 24-member group, comprising of 17 players and seven members of the coaching staff, were tested for the disease on Tuesday. The result of the player and coaching staff member came back positive and they been advised to go into self-isolation.

“As they had no visible symptoms leading up to the sample collection, the BCB’s Medical Team has advised the player Saif Hassan and BCB’s Head of Physical Performance Nicholas Lee to go into self-isolation immediately in accordance with the COVID-19 management protocol until they undergo another test,” the statement read.

The 21-year-old right-handed batsman was part of Bangladesh’s Test squad which toured Pakistan this year. He managed just 16 runs in the only played fixture.

Hassan is not the first Bangladesh cricketer to have been contracted the virus as former captain Mashrafe Mortaza along with Nafees Iqbal and Nazm-ul-Islam have also tested positive.

Lee has now been diagnosed with the disease twice. His coronavirus test result came positive when he was tested in the United Arab Emirates on 14th August.

He spent ten days in isolation before testing negative on 23rd August. He also went into self-quarantine for 14 days after returning to Dhaka.