BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has praised the Nicholas Pooran-led squad for completing the Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Pakistan despite a COVID-19 outbreak in the camp, and says the main focus remains the health of all players and ensuring their safe return to the Caribbean.

West Indies proceeded with Thursday’s final T20I of the three-match series in Karachi, against the backdrop of five members of the touring party – including three players – returning positive tests 24 hours earlier.

Another four members – including three players – had also tested positive prior to the start of the series, leaving the squad numbers severely diminished.

“It’s been a very difficult last [few days] for everyone, particularly the players and support staff out in Pakistan,” CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said.

“Obviously getting more COVID cases caused even more anxiety amongst the players, especially being this close to Christmas, and being away from home in biosecure bubbles is a very difficult environment for such a long period of time.

“So we’re enormously proud of all the players for the decision they made as a collective to take the field [for the final T20I] and complete the T20 part of this tour.”

Despite the completion of the T20I series, CWI and the Pakistan Cricket Board jointly agreed to scrap the One-Day International phase of the tour scheduled to bowl off in Karachi today. That three-match series is now pencilled in for next June.

Grave said the decision was taken not only because of the depleted squad but to further ensure the safety of the remaining members of the touring party.

“Obviously we are all disappointed that we aren’t able to complete the One-Day Internationals, but just with so many players out – as well as a couple of injuries – we only have just about 11 players, which clearly isn’t enough players to get through three One-Day Internationals,” the Englishman pointed out.

“If we were to have one injury or one more COVID case, then clearly the series would be curtailed anyway, so we’ve taken a very difficult decision and we’re very grateful for the understanding that the Pakistan Cricket Board has given us in this difficult situation, particularly for our players away from home so close to Christmas.”

He continued: “It’s disappointing we can’t complete the One-Day International series but at the end of the day we’ve always said player safety and security would always come first and our priority has been, now we’ve completed the T20 part of the series, to get the players home as quickly and safely as possible so they can spend Christmas and the new year with their friends and families back in the Caribbean.”

Six players – Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Justin Greaves and Akeal Hosein – along with Assistant Coach Roddy Estwick, team physician Dr Akshai Mansingh and an unnamed non-coaching member of the support staff are currently in isolation after testing positive.

The remainder of the touring party were set to fly out of Pakistan on Thursday, immediately following the final T20I.

Grave said those in isolation would be afforded the best care until they were able to return to the Caribbean.

“Obviously we still have a number of players and support staff who will remain in Karachi for the next few days,” he explained.

“They are obviously all fully vaccinated. Many of them are asymptomatic, a few have had some mild symptoms but they’re under the fantastic care we’ve got, since we’ve arrived, by the Pakistan Cricket Board, from a medical perspective.

“Our team physician Dr Mansingh is also there with them and will accompany the final players home. We’re still hoping they’ll be able to return negative tests in time to get back into the Caribbean for Christmas and at the moment they remain in isolation under the care and supervision of the medical teams.”

West Indies suffered a 3-0 drubbing in the T20I series, losing Monday’s opener by 63 runs, the second 24 hours later by nine runs, and the third by seven wickets.