BBL 2021-22: Covid chaos postpones Adelaide Strikers-Melbourne Stars clash

The ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) has been hit with uncertainties owing to the ongoing pandemic. According to the latest turn of events, Cricket Australia has decided to postpone the game between the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars. The match was scheduled to be played on Friday, January 7.

A few more cases were reported among the BBL clubs on Thursday, January 6. The players from Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades are the latest to return with positive results. As many as 15 players of the Stars are expected to get out from isolation today, but there were doubts whether they will be in the right space mentally and physically to play the contest after a week of inactivity.

Taking this into account, CA felt that it would not be right to take the game further. And thus, it became the third match that the board decided to postpone to another date. BBL’s official Twitter account informed about the same.

BBL releases an official statement on Twitter

“Friday’s KFC Big Bash League Match between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars has been postponed. The Melbourne Stars currently have 13 players in isolation after testing positive for Covid 19. A number of those players are due to exit isolation soon, subject to a negative test.

However, for the concern for the health and wellbeing of those players, the League has deemed it unreasonable for them to play a match in the time available after exiting isolation. The League will advise a new date for the match shortly, along with plans to safely execute the remainder of the KFC BBL|11 seasons,” the statement read.

Previously, Wednesday, January 5 match between Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers was postponed after 12 Heat players and a coach returned positive PCR tests to Covid-19. Opening up on it, BBL general manager Alistair Dobson said in a statement that it wasn’t possible for the Heat to field players, and that’s why the decision was taken.

“We acknowledge the wholehearted efforts of the Brisbane Heat to field a team tonight. However, in the time available it was not possible for them to secure the 13 players required, hence the decision to postpone the match,” Dobson had said.