England | August 8, 2022
Despite testing positive for Covid-19 mere hours before the toss, Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath was permitted to participate in the gold medal victory against India in the Commonwealth Games women’s T20 cricket final on Sunday.
Australian officials released a statement clarifying that, despite McGrath’s positive test results and moderate symptoms, she was permitted to play after consulting with the Commonwealth Games Federation Results Analysis Clinical Expert Group and team and match officials.
Commonwealth Games Australia stated that McGrath “reported to team management with moderate symptoms on Sunday and subsequently returned the positive test” (CGA). She was selected for the starting lineup during the coin toss, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave permission for her to play in the championship game.
“Cricket Australia medical professionals have established a series of thorough protocols that will be observed throughout the game and for post-match activity to reduce the risk of transmission to all players and officials,” according to the CGF (Commonwealth Games Federation) and the ICC. With testing processes that go above and beyond those demanded by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, the CGA has maintained a thorough COVID-19 risk mitigation approach for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
On August 7 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Tahlia McGrath watches the Cricket T20 – Gold Medal game between Australia and India while donning a face mask.
The CGA made no mention of the protocols that were in place and declined to speak further.
Beth Mooney, an Australian batter, stated, “I think everything was handled extremely nicely from Australia’s point of view.” Her gold medal hung around her neck. They did everything properly by putting protocols in place and making sure everyone on the squad felt comfortable with her playing. It obviously got a little hairy there for a while towards the toss, but I don’t believe it’s any different if someone is playing and they have the flu or a cold.
The appropriate choice, in my opinion, was made, and we simply went out and performed it. We had no influence over it; the decisions were made by those who were being paid to do so.
During the playing of the national anthems, McGrath did not stand with her teammates. She didn’t have a face mask on, though, when she entered the game.
Prior to the final versus India, she had scored the most runs for Australia in Birmingham, although she had only faced four balls when she was out for two runs.
McGrath left the field and didn’t go back to the dugout. Apart from her teammates, she sat.
All-rounder for Australia Ashleigh Gardner stated, “It was strange, but we have our doctor on tour and we were just listening to anything she said.” We all believed we were safe enough outside because she claimed it was okay for her to play, even if we didn’t interact with her. In this competition, it was just one of those things that had to happen to someone, and it was awful that it was her.
