Rose defends Windies after bubble breach

November 12, 2020
West Indies cricketers and coaching staff in a huddle during a training session.
West Indies cricketers and coaching staff in a huddle during a training session.
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Former West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose says the New Zealand Health Ministry should 'give the players a break' after the news that members of the touring party violated quarantine rules in Christchurch.

Reports from New Zealand say some members of the West Indies squad were found socialising in the hallways of their hotel and sharing food between the two separate bubbles that the touring party had been confined to. As a result, all members of the team have been denied training privileges for the remainder of their time in the bubble, which will end tomorrow.

Rose who was a player-coach for the University of Auckland in New Zealand from 2011 to 2014, says the authorities should cut the players some slack, as none of the contingents has tested positive for COVID-19 and no one had left the facility or brought anyone into the biosecure bubble.

"Give the youth dem a break and allow them some freedom, because all of them tested negative for the virus," Rose told STAR Sports. "The lockdown has already been affecting the players mentally, mind you, if they are wrong, they are wrong, but in my estimation, they did nothing wrong."

The former fast bowler who toured New Zealand in the 1999-2000 series with the West Indies, says New Zealand's strict COVID-19 policies for the touring West Indies team are unnecessary at this time since the country currently has a low-risk level one alert status.

New Zealand has halted the spread of community infections and there are no restrictions on crowd sizes for the series that starts at Eden Park on November 27.

Rose says the authorities in New Zealand should be more concerned about allowing spectators into the games. He says this poses a higher risk than the scenario which unfolded with the regional players in the bubble.

"They are planning to have spectators at the game, so when you hit a six in the crowd and a spectator catch the ball and throw it back to the players, isn't that worse than what happened with the players in the bubble," Rose asked.

Members of the West Indies squad are said to have undergone another COVID-19 test on Wednesday. The local medical officer of health will thereafter determine if the team qualifies to meet the low-risk indicators for their release from the bubble, following which, they will travel to Queenstown for two warm-up games against New Zealand 'A'.

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