Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner will miss their opening Women’s World Cup game against England on Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19.
Gardner is also ruled out of their second match, against Pakistan on 8 March, as she must isolate for 10 days.The 24-year-old averages 24.82 with the bat and has taken 43 wickets in 42 one-day international appearances.
The World Cup begins on Friday, with hosts New Zealand taking on West Indies at Mount Maunganui.World Cup favourites Australia top the one-day international rankings and beat England in all three ODIs in the recent Women’s Ashes series.
However England beat South Africa in their final warm-up game on Wednesday as they prepare to defend the title they won in 2017.