Moeen Ali excluded from squad as England await fresh Covid test results in Sri Lanka

CRICKET-SRI-ENG-HEALTH-VIRUS
AFP via Getty Images
Will Macpherson5 January 2021

Moeen Ali was on Tuesday moved to Galle from Hambantota, where his England team-mates will spend an extra night in isolation as they await the results of another round of Covid-19 testing.

England announced yesterday that Moeen had recorded a positive test on arrival in Sri Lanka on Sunday. He had been negative when the squad were tested in the days before departure.  

Moeen, who is asymptomatic, must now isolate until January 13, the day before the first of two Tests begins in Galle. He was taken to a hotel in Galle today to quarantine in a separate vehicle from the ECB's chief medical officer, Nick Peirce.  

Peirce, who as a frontline NHS doctor has received the Covid vaccine, will ensure Moeen is settled in his accommodation before returning to Hambantota.  

Chris Woakes, deemed to be Moeen's only close contact, having travelled from Birmingham to Heathrow with him for the team flight, must also isolate for seven days but remains in Hambantota. It seems impossible that Moeen (above) will feature in the First Test, and Woakes seems a highly unlikely pick, too.

England are due to receive the results of this morning's testing tomorrow. If there are no further positives, they will be allowed out of their hotel rooms to train tomorrow, 24 hours later than scheduled. They are then due be tested again on Thursday.

England have seen their last two tours aborted due to Covid-19 and further positives would surely endanger this one, too.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are still in South Africa. The Proteas this morning romped to a 2-0 series win, leaving the tourists ready to fly home.

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