COVID-19 strikes Australian squad ahead of first Pakistan one-dayer – Sydney Morning Herald

Matthew Renshaw is being rushed to Pakistan after reserve wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis was ruled out with COVID-19.

All other players have tested negative ahead of tonight’s first one-day match against Pakistan in Lahore.

Josh Inglis has tested positive to COVID-19Credit:Getty

The loss of Inglis, who was unlikely to play, further diminishes a squad already without damaging all-rounder Mitchell Marsh because of a hip injury suffered at training.

Renshaw is being flown in as batting cover for both Inglis and Marsh.

Australia’s white ball squad, due to play three one-day matches and a Twenty20 game during the next week, has already been severally weakened through injury and key players resting after a tough three-Test series against, which Australia won 1-0 with victory in Lahore last Friday.

Steve Smith has been ruled out with a recurrence of an elbow injury and veteran seamer Kane Richardson was withdrawn because of injury. Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson replaced Steve Smith in the squad last week.

Smith is one of a number of big names missing including Test captain Pat Cummins, fellow pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and veteran opener David Warner. All are resting but Cummins, Hazlewood and Warner have permission to join the IPL once Australia’s tour of Pakistan ends on April 6.

Cummins has flown directly to England to join his wife, who is English, and child, while Warner has returned to Sydney to spend time with his wife and three children. Mitchell Starc has been given permission to fly to New Zealand, where his wife Alyssa Healy will play in Australia’s Women’s World Cup semi-final against the West Indies tomorrow.

Glenn Maxwell is also unavailable because of his wedding.

While Inglis is Australia’s first Covid case a month into the Pakistan tour, reserve Test opener Marcus Harris has arrived home testing positive to the virus and is battling to prove his fitness for Victoria ahead of the Sheffield Shield Final against Western Australia in Perth, beginning on Thursday.

Victorian coach Chris Rogers said Harris’s positive COVID-19 test had “thrown a spanner into the works.”

“We’re hoping he will test negative in the meantime and then still be able to play by Thursday. But that’s going to be touch and go,” Rogers told radio SEN.

White ball captain Aaron Finch said Smith’s injury highlighted his extensive practice regime.

“It was unfortunate that with his elbow, it just keeps flaring up,” Finch said on Friday.

“That’s a reflection of a guy who’s got everything that he can out of himself over the last couple of years and has batted so much that that is probably an injury that just needs to be monitored over and over.

“In terms of his role within the side, I think that we saw a really flexible role that he’s played over the last couple of years when he’s played T20 cricket, he’s batted at three and done a really good job. He’s batted in the middle and done a really good job as well and got us some really important runs. So, I’m confident that we know what we’re going to get every day that he turns up.”