Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed tests positive for COVID-19

Bangladesh fast bowler Abu Jayed has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their tour of Sri Lanka, the country's cricket board (BCB) said on Wednesday.

Bangladesh fast bowler Abu Jayed has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their tour of Sri Lanka, the country's cricket board (BCB) said on Wednesday. "Pace bowler Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi has reported positive for COVID-19. He will receive treatment in isolation for COVID as per guidelines and will undergo further tests in due course," BCB physician Debashis Chowdhury said in a statement. The Board said Jayed is the only one to have returned positive out of the 27 cricketers who were tested for the contagious disease.

"Samples were collected from 27 cricketers called up to the Bangladesh Team Skill Camp with test results of 26 returning negative," BCB said. Jayed has featured in nine Tests for Bangladesh, taking 24 wickets and is a vital member of the touring Bangladesh team which is scheduled to play a three-Test series in Sri Lanka beginning October 23, subject to agreement on the number of days that the visiting team has to stay in quarantine.

Opener Saif Hassan had also tested positive for COVID-19 on September 9 but has recovered since. Bangladesh were supposed to tour Sri Lanka in July-August but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two boards are currently negotiating over reducing the 14-day quarantine period for the tourists. According to the current schedule, Bangladesh will travel to Sri Lanka on September 27 with the first Test starting on October 23.

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