Brisbane Heat were unable to secure a squad for Tuesday's clash with Sydney Sixers after twelve players tested positive for COVID-19
Heat COVID-19 outbreak forces BBL postponement
The KFC BBL is facing a COVID-19 crisis after 12 Brisbane Heat players tested positive to leave the club unable to find enough healthy players to fill a team to play the Sydney Sixers this evening.
Like the Melbourne Stars, the Heat have been forced to scramble for replacement players after the virus ripped through their playing group and left them with less than half a full side for tonight’s game.
Cricket Australia issued a statement this afternoon confirming that while that match on the Gold Coast against the Sixers has been postponed, the Heat will still play tomorrow in Geelong against the Melbourne Renegades.
Pakistan recruit Fakhar Zaman is currently in Melbourne and expected to be able to play alongside the handful of available Heat players who do not have the virus.
Those healthy Heat players, and support staff, are expected to fly from the Gold Coast to Avalon Airport in Melbourne's west on a charter plane tomorrow, with a host of club cricketers and fringe state players expected to round out their XI.
"In this instance, the decision to postpone tonight’s match was the only option available given the number of cases within the Heat squad and the inability to secure the required number of players fit to take the field," league boss Alistair Dobson said.
Tonight’s other scheduled match between the Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes has been pushed back to begin at 7:15pm AEDT.
More than half the BBL's teams have now reported positive cases.
The Renegades cancelled their training session this afternoon after one player returned a positive rapid test result.
The Melbourne Stars have been the worst affected, with club captain and league drawcard Glenn Maxwell today becoming the 13th player from the club to test positive for the virus.
The Stars' outbreak forced them to turn to club cricketers and overlooked state-contracted players to field a team for games against Perth Scorchers (on Sunday) and the Renegades on consecutive days.
The mandated seven-day isolation for most Stars players to contract the virus in the initial outbreak will end in the coming days, meaning the likes of Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Coulter-Nile should bolster their side for their next match, scheduled to be against the Adelaide Strikers on Friday.
That is presuming those players have not only been cleared of the virus, but are then also fit and able to perform at match intensity after spending a full week in isolation.
It is believed plans are afoot to move all eight teams to Victoria to allow greater flexibility in the schedule should there be further positive cases.