LEEDS: Four Yorkshire players, including David Willey, will miss their two remaining Vitality Blast group matches after the England all-rounder tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Yorkshire said in a statement on Wednesday that Matthew Fisher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Josh Poysden and Willey had been advised to self-isolate for two weeks after a positive test was received within the squad.

Willey later confirmed he had tested positive.

“My wife and I received positive Covid test results. Gutted to be missing the remaining games,” the 30-year-old Willey wrote on Twitter. “Even more devastated that having been in contact with the other three lads Saturday morning [before we had symptoms] means they’re at risk and unavailable too.”

A statement on Yorkshire’s official website said: “The four players were deemed to be in close contact on Saturday separate to the squad and away from a Covid-secure environment.

“One player has had a positive test returned and as all four players were deemed to be in close contact, all four have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days, as per Covid guidelines.”

The club’s lead physiotherapist Kunwar Bansil described the quartet’s absence as ‘disappointing’ but said the safety of the remaining players, the opposition and the wider community were paramount

The four players missed Yorkshire’s 43-run defeat by Durham on Wednesday and will sit out games against Lancashire later on Thursday and Derbyshire on Sunday.

Yorkshire are fifth in the North Group with six points from eight matches.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2020