Canberra

The ICC in a major announcement has confirmed that players who test positive for COVID-19 will be permitted to play T20 World Cup matches.

The ICC stated that if a player contracts COVID-19, there won't be any required testing during the competition or isolation time. Instead, team doctors would evaluate if it is appropriate for the athlete to compete.

Australia, which previously used some of the tightest COVID-19 regulations in the world, will take a much more liberal approach to host the World Cup this year.

The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham earlier this year adopted a similar stance, wherein people who tested positive for the virus were handled on a case-by-case basis and not necessarily barred from participation.

Given the strict guidelines used for other marquee events held since the pandemic began, it represents a significant turnaround in how the ICC handles COVID-19.

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The men's T20 World Cup bubble last year was strict, but the virus still forced teams into significant player changes because Covid positive individuals had to isolate for 10 days, whether or not they were symptomatic and close connections had to wait six days.