As if the pandemic itself wasn’t difficult to deal with, the stringent protocols in place to ensure safety from Covid-19 are turning out to be thorn in the flesh for players. After England dropped paceman Jofra Archer from the second Test match against the West Indies last month for breaching the bio-secure bubble, it’s now the turn of a county cricketer to pay for a breach of protocols.
Kent’s 19-year-old Jordan Cox has been dropped from the side’s next first-class match after he posed for a photo with young fans, breaching the Covid-19 health safety protocols.
This comes as a rude jolt for the youngster who smashed several records on the field as he played an unbeaten knock of 237 runs on Monday, which was part of an unbroken 423-run partnership with Jack Leaning in the four-day match against Sussex in the Bob Willis Trophy.
He though will miss out on the team’s next outing against Middlesex for posing for photos with a group of young fans. Cox in a statement apologised for the breach.
“I fully understand the consequences, and I want to apologise to everyone,” Cox said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}“I fully understand the consequences, and I want to apologise to everyone,” Cox said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}“I’m gutted to be missing the next match and feel like I have let the team down. I am very sorry that this has happened.” Cox will now have to self-isolate and will have to test negative for COVID-19 before he is allowed to join the squad again.
Kent’s director of cricket Paul Downton said Cox’s breach was “unfortunate”.
“It is unfortunate for Jordan that on the back of an outstanding performance, our team medical protocols were breached.
“We take these protocols very seriously and Jordan has no choice but to go into self-isolation,” Downton said.
Kent won the match against Sussex and Cox hit 47 fours and three sixes during his 570-ball stay in the middle.
(With PTI inputs)