Covid-19: Three Bangladesh squad members test positive ahead of Women's World Cup

Three members of the Bangladesh contingent, bound for New Zealand to participate in the Women's World Cup, have tested positive for Covid-19. The rest of the squad left from Dhaka to Auckland on Thursday afternoon.

While the three Covid-positive members will undergo quarantine in Dhaka, those who are travelling to New Zealand will isolate for ten days. The tournament will begin on March 4 and the final will be played on April 3.

"The national women's team is heading to New Zealand to take part in the World Cup," Shaful Alam Chowdhury, the BCB women's wing chairman, said. "Among them one player and two officials were found positive on Wednesday (February 2). We are hoping to arrange another test for them after eight days and expectedly they would make their trip to World Cup on February 14 or 15."

Bangladesh are heading to New Zealand early to give themselves at least three more practice matches, in addition the ICC-mandated two, ahead of the tournament.

Bangladesh are the only debutants in the upcoming ODI World Cup after the qualifiers held in Zimbabwe last November were called off midway due to concerns around the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The decision was based on team rankings, which saw Bangladesh, Pakistan and West Indies qualify despite the tournament not reaching its conclusion.

Three members of the Bangladesh side, which returned to Dhaka from Harare, had been found to be Covid-positive at the time.

Bangladesh will begin their Women's World Cup campaign against South Africa in Dunedin on March 5.