New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad during IPL 2021, has tested positive for coronavirus. The Kiwi wicketkeeper has been refused permission to board the charter flight from India to New Zealand. He will now isolate in Ahmedabad before moving to Chennai for further assessment.
According to the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) press release issued on Saturday, Seifert failed both his pre-departure PCR tests and is experiencing moderate symptoms. The statement also said that Seifert had returned seven negative tests in the ten days leading up to his pre-departure protocols.
Seifert is the third person after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier to test positive from KKR. Chakravarthy and Warrier were the first instances of positive cases within the bio bubble in IPL 2021. It was the trigger for the tournament to get suspended.
NZC chief executive David White said, “It’s really unfortunate for Tim and we’ll do everything for him that we can from this end. Hopefully, he will be able to test negative and be cleared and approved for discharge as soon as he’s well again”.
White also confirmed that NZC organized support for Siefert ever since he was tested positive. NZC has also been in contact with his family to ensure they’re kept fully informed and updated on developments through the Players Association.
Siefert is to be treated at the same facility where Michael Hussey is currently residing in Chennai. The former Australian batsman and CSK coach had tested positive for covid earlier this week.
The explosive NZ batsman had joined the Knight Riders as a replacement for the injured USA bowler Ali Khan during IPL 2020. He was retained ahead of the auction in February this year but did not get a game in IPL 2021. Meanwhile, there have also been changes to the travel plans of New Zealand’s UK-bound Test contingent. A day after Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, and physio Tommy Simsek were placed in a mini bio-secure bubble in New Delhi, it emerged that the four members have been moved to Maldives for quarantine purposes before departing for England.