Sri Lanka batting coach tests Covid positive ahead of India series

Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, 48 hours after the squad's arrival from England and less than a week before the home series against India.

Sri Lanka are set to take on India in a six-match white-ball series starting July 13. Flower has been isolated from the rest of the squad which is undergoing hard quarantine on arrival.

"Batting Coach of the Sri Lanka National Team Grant Flower has tested positive for COVID-19," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.

"He was found to be positive during a PCR test carried out on him today when Flower showed mild symptoms of the disease.

"Immediately upon identification, Flower was isolated from the rest of the team members (players and coaches) who are undergoing quarantine following their return from England," it further stated.

The SLC said Flower is "now undergoing due medical protocols."

All the other players who are quarantining have also been tested.

Flower is a former Zimbabwe batting great and was with the team in England where it lost both the T20 International and ODI series.

Already, three Sri Lankan players are facing an inquiry for breaching the COVID-19 protocols in UK during the tour.