Australia’s cricket team slammed for winning Commonwealth Games gold medal with player who had Covid

Australia’s cricket team are facing a backlash after they won gold at the Commonwealth Games with a player who tested positive for Covid-19 just hours before the match started.

Star all-rounder Tahlia McGrath recorded a positive Covid result after experiencing ‘mild symptoms’, but was still permitted to play in Sunday’s gold-medal match against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

McGrath isolated from her team-mates and wore a protective face mask as she waited to bat but removed it before entering the field, where she scored two from four balls.

The 26-year-old then bowled two overs and took a catch when she held up her hands to warn her team-mates not to celebrate with her.

Australia clinched a narrow nine-run win over India to become Commonwealth Games champions and McGrath was pictured both with and without a mask during the celebrations.

Australian bowler Megan Schutt, who took two wickets, said afterwards: ‘If we get Covid, so be it’.

The decision to field a cricketer with Covid has sparked controversy not only as it is a potential health risk, but also as Australia has been one of the strictest nations in terms of Covid regulations.

Australia took a hard line on lockdowns during the pandemic and even deported tennis world number one Novak Djokovic over his vaccination status.

Had the Commonwealth Games final taken place in Australia, McGrath would have been forced to withdraw and isolate for seven days.

But McGrath was allowed to play in yesterday’s final with the full support of the International Cricket Council, the Australian Commonwealth Games team and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

With the UK government now insisting that self-isolation rules are advisory only, the Birmingham Games have been open to allowing