T20 Blast 2021: Warwickshire’s Carlos Brathwaite tests positive for COVID-19

West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite has tested positive for COVID-19. The all-rounder is currently plying his trade for Warwickshire in the 2021 edition of the T20 Blast and has performed brilliantly.

The 32-year-old from Barbados is currently the leading wicket-taker for his team with 18 scalps from nine matches at a decent average and economy rate of 13.33 and 7.53 respectively. On Wednesday, June 30, he became the Player of the Match after his spell of 2-0-7-3 against Yorkshire at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The fast bowler picked up the wickets of Adam Lyth, Mark Stoneman, and Gary Ballance, reducing Yorkshire to 36 for four in only the sixth over. His opening burst made sure that Yorkshire were shot for 81 with his team winning by 10 wickets.

Carlos Brathwaite has tested positive for Covid so he’s out of the Bears team.

— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) July 2, 2021

Carlos Brathwaite’s useful contributions for Warwickshire

Brathwaite didn’t play Warwickshire’s previous match against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston and his absence was felt. Will Rhodes and Co lost by 114 runs after being bowled out for 63 while chasing 178.

The Barbadian, meanwhile, is also the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament behind Afghanistan speedster Naveen-ul-Haq, who has picked 21 wickets for Leicestershire. With the bat, Brathwaite has scored 104 runs at an average and strike rate of 14.85 and 140.54 respectively.

His top score of 44 came against Nottinghamshire back on June 11 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Interestingly, he bagged the POTM award in that match as well. It remains to be seen if Brathwaite’s massive shoes can be filled going into the business end of the event.

Warwickshire are currently placed fifth, right in the middle of the table, in the North Group. They have notched 11 points from as many matches with a net run rate of 0.099. Their remaining three games are against Worcestershire, two, and Northamptonshire.

Back on June 15, Warwickshire beat Northamptonshire by 55 runs at the County Ground in Northampton. Apart from Brathwaite, Glamorgan’s Nick Selman and Sussex’s Tom Clarke also tested positive for the COVID-19.

Even as from Glamorgan, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser have sidelined themselves, seven players from Sussex have gone into self-isolation. The players were suspected to have come in close contact with the ones contracted with coronavirus.