Six Sri Lanka women cricketers who took part in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe have tested positive for Covid-19, the SLC said on Sunday.
The ICC had called off the qualifiers in Zimbabwe on Saturday after discovery of a new variant in South Africa, which has prompted widespread travel curbs. It was not known whether the Sri Lankan players' positive tests were for the new Omicron variant of the virus.
The ICC took its decision after Saturday's game between the West Indies and Sri Lanka was called off when a member of the Sri Lankan support staff tested positive for Covid.
"The team is still in Zimbabwe, and we're talking with the ICC to try and get them back to Sri Lanka as soon as possible," SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. "The players who have tested positive will have to stay there until they test negative. There is a doctor traveling with the team who will stay behind with them."
Although the non-infected members of the squad could come back sooner, they will still have to undergo quarantine upon arrival in Sri Lanka, as the island's government has just reimposed mandatory quarantines for arrivals from southern Africa, following the news about the Omicron variant. All of Sri Lanka's squad members are currently in isolation in Zimbabwe.
After the cancellation of the qualifiers, the ICC said that Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies will progress to next year's World Cup in New Zealand by virtue of their rankings. The three teams will join New Zealand, Australia, India, England and South Africa.
South African sport began to shut down on Friday as the travel bans forced rugby teams and golfers to scramble to try to leave the country.