Peter Handscomb, a former Australian batsman and Victoria skipper has tested positive for COVID-19 while in England for a county cricket stint.
The 30-year-old has been captaining Middlesex this season but was forced out of their Championship Group Two game on Sunday after getting the test result.
Peter Handscomb Failed To Pass 50 In Last 13 Innings For Middlesex
Peter Handscomb has had a horrid time in England, failing to pass 50 in 13 innings for Middlesex after starting his season with a duck. It’s the second instance of Covid affecting Australian cricketers in England.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne and fast bowler Michael Neser, who have been playing for Glamorgan, were both forced into isolation after being in close contact with a positive case. They have since resumed playing but are set to return to Australia earlier than planned.
Peter Handscomb was struggling to get runs under his belt. In this season, he just had 227 runs to his name in seven games at a dismal average of 17.46. It was reported that he was looking up to mark his comeback in the upcoming Ashes. However, with this performance in the County, it is highly unlikely that he would be able to cement his place.
Peter Handscomb Replaced By Tim Murtagh
Irishman Tim Murtagh stepped up to fill in for Peter Handscomb as skipper as Middlesex ended day one of the clashes with Leicestershire at 280/3. Peter Handscomb last played for Australia in 2019 after having appeared at Test, ODI, and Twenty20 levels during that year.
Cricket in England has continued to be impacted by positive Covid tests. National selectors were forced to pick a new one-day team led by Ben Stokes to play Pakistan after all first-choice players led by Eoin Morgan were forced into isolation as close contacts of a positive case. In the last 24 hours, county side Kent was forced to do the same thing after one of their players tested positive to Covid-19.
England wrapped up the Royal London ODI series against Pakistan with a game to spare following a 52-run victory over Pakistan at Lord’s. Having won the first match ODI in Cardiff by nine wickets, the result means England go into the final game at Edgbaston on Tuesday with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
England’s top-order batters Zak Crawley and Phil Salt, wicketkeeper John Simpson, seam-bowling allrounder Lewis Gregory and fast bowler Brydon Carse all made their debuts in the first ODI against Pakistan. Zak Crawley and Lewis Gregory had played Test cricket and T20Is respectively, but the other three cricketers had no experience of international cricket.