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The second ODI between the West Indies and Australia at the Kensington Oval in Barbados was postponed on Thursday following the toss after a positive COVID-19 case emerged among the non-playing Windies staff.

"The second ODI between West Indies and Australia has been postponed due to a positive Covid-19 test result from a non-playing member of the West Indies team,"  a Cricket West Indies statement mentioned.

"This decision was taken after the toss at Kensington Oval once the result was known due to the Covid-19 protocols.

"All members of both teams and match officials will be retested today. A decision on when the match will be replayed will be made at a later date once the test results are known," said Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Johnny Grave.

All personnel inside the biosecure bubble will be placed into isolation as per the guidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Australian skipper Alex Carey had won the toss and chose to bat first after which the start of the match was delayed.

A final decision on the remaining fixture will be taken after a fresh round of tests; the results of which will be out on Friday morning.

Australia had won the first match by 133 runs via Duckworth-Lewis two days earlier at the same ground.

The ODI match would have marked the debut of Australian fast bowler Riley Meredith, who was given his cap by Aaron Finch just minutes before the toss. 

The postponement not also raises question marks on the remaining tourODIs but also Australia’s subsequent tour of Bangladesh for which the team was to depart following the final ODI on Saturday.

Former West Indies fast bowler and current commentator Ian Bishop described the postponement as ‘unfortunate’ in a tweet.

The next country to tour Caribbean is Pakistan for five T20Is that start on July 27 followed by two Tests that commence on August 12.

Featured photo : Randy Brooks / AFP 

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