Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the opening week of the Sri Lanka tour.
Andrew will be isolated for seven days before joining the squad:-
McDonald was unable to fly as scheduled and would be isolated for seven days before rejoining the squad. He is expected to be with the team ahead of the second T20I to be held on June 8.
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During the initial days of the tour, assistant coach Michael Di Venuto will lead the team. Spin coach S Sriram and former Australia pacer Clint McKay are also part of the backroom staff for the T20I and ODI series.
This will be McDonald’s first tour:-
This will be McDonald’s first tour of Pakistan after being appointed full-time in the role of head coach after taking over from Justin Langer in an interim capacity earlier in the year.
Newly appointed assistant coaches Daniel Vettori and Andre Borovec will then work with McDonald’s during the two-Test series.
Borovec will also coach Australia. A portion of the tour includes two one-day matches and two four-day matches.
Confirmed as the new head coach of the set-up:-
Australia women’s assistant coach Ben Sawyer was to be part of the A-team coaching staff but is expected to be confirmed as the new head coach of the New Zealand women’s set-up in the coming days.
The later stages of Australia’s tour of Pakistan came under the grip of Covid-19 when Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis, and physio Brendan Wilson tested positive during the white-ball leg.
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The first T20I against Sri Lanka takes place on 7 June with the opening two matches in Colombo ahead of Pallekele’s tour.
The Australia T20I team is missing out on Pat Cummins (rest). And Adam Zampa (paternity leave) among its first-choice players, will gather in Colombo on Thursday.
