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Shane Warne, a legendary Australian spinner has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently in self-isolation.

Shane Warne missed London Spirit’s clash with Southern Brave in the new English cricket limited-overs competition, The Hundred after he was one of two members of the team’s coaching staff to test positive for Covid-19. Southern Brave won the match at Lord’s by four runs.

Shane Warne. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Shane Warne Forced To Miss Sunday Match Against Southern Brave After Feeling Unwell And Later Found Covid-19 Positive

Shane Warne reported feeling unwell on Sunday morning, ahead of London Spirit’s game against Southern Brave at Lord’s. A lateral flow test was positive and the result of a PCR test was also positive. As yet, none of the London Spirit playing squad has been affected.

Shane Warne’s London Spirit team was winless in their first three Hundred games, with two defeats and a no-result. They lost to Southern Brave at Lord’s on Sunday evening. David Ripley, the Northamptonshire head coach and one of the London Spirit’s assistants, will act as head coach in Shane Warne’s absence.

Shane Warne is head coach of the Lord's-based Hundred team Getty Images — Shane Warne is the head coach of the Lord’s-based Hundred team Getty Images

The former Australia spinner is the head coach of the men’s team for the Lord’s-based franchise but he was forced to sit out Sunday’s match after feeling unwell.

A club statement read: “London Spirit men’s head coach Shane Warne will be absent from today’s match against Southern Brave at Lord’s. After feeling unwell this morning, Shane returned a positive lateral flow test and will isolate from the squad and support staff whilst he awaits PCR results. A second member of the team management is self-isolating after also returning a positive test. No players have been impacted.”

The 51-year-old former Australia leg-spinner, who took 708 wickets from 145 Tests between 1992 and 2007, is the second head coach in the men’s competition to test positive for Covid-19 in the first 10 days of the Hundred.

Andy Flower Was The First Head Coach To Be Covid-19 Positive In The Hundred

Andy Flower, the Trent Rockets head coach, returned a positive test last weekend and has missed his side’s last three fixtures, with Paul Franks stepping into the role. Steven Mullaney, who was deemed a close contact of Andy Flower’s, is the only player in the competition to have been forced to self-isolate as things stand.

Trent Rockets head coach Andy Flower and two members of his support staff had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Rockets player Steven Mullaney and another, also unnamed, support staff member has been withdrawn from the fixture against Northern Superchargers after being identified as close contacts.

Trent Rockets head coach Andy Flower (Getty Images)

Paul Franks replaced former England boss Andy Flower as the Trent Rockets coach against the Superchargers. Joe Root is a member of the Rockets squad and the development came just over a week before he is due to captain England in the first Test against India at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge starting on August 4.