JAKARTA - The Australian women's cricket team has come under fire after Tahlia McGrath played in a gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games. Even though the player previously tested positive for COVID-19.
Tahlia McGrath who became the star of the Australian cricket team did not seem too concerned about her COVID-19 test result which tested positive. Not only playing, but she also celebrated his team's gold medal victory at the Commonwealth Games by hugging her colleagues.
Previously the decision to play Tahlia McGrath at the time drew criticism from critics given Australia's hard-line stance on COVID-19 tolerance. Moreover, there was a moment when tennis player Novak Djokovic was banned from playing at the Australian Open in January because of his refusal to be vaccinated.
Upon arrival in England, Australian cricketers who have been tested are no longer required to undergo seven days of isolation. But on Sunday morning before competing in the final, McGrath developed mild symptoms.
Subsequent tests then confirmed his worst fears. The 26-year-old has tested positive for COVID-19. Although he tested positive, the results of discussions with management said she was still selected to play against India in the final which took place in Edgbaston.
Despite being positive for COVID-19, McGrath continues to contribute well on the pitch. He scored two of four balls and threw and took important catches as he seized the opportunity to miss India's opener, Shafali Verma.
During the performance McGrath was clearly seen holding out his hand and warning his teammates not to hug her. But surprisingly that didn't happen when his team sealed a 9-round win, as McGrath was instead seen walking into the crowd and hugging team members at will.
During the celebration, Australian bowler Megan Schutt said the moment was understandable. "If we get (positive results) COVID-19, so be it", she was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
But that stance appears to be at odds with McGrath's earlier behavior, where he refused to line up for the national anthem and opted to sit alone while in Australia.
Confusion continued during the medal ceremony, as the Adelaide Strikers player was seen wearing a mask and posing while holding hands with Beth Mooney and Alana King.
This moment then got the spotlight from Piers Morgan who is a British journalist and television personality. He tweeted that this was unfair given how Djokovic was treated in Australia.
"Given what happened with Djokovic in Australia, this is a very bad and hypocritical decision (to choose McGrath)", Morgan said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
