LIVE MCG cricket: Inglis to play despite COVID-19 as Australia, West Indies begin one-day international

The most influential player in Friday’s one-dayer between Australia and West Indies might not even be at the MCG.

Shamar Joseph is on his way home to the Caribbean but the impact of his Gabba heroics is still being felt by a Windies team riding high from one of the biggest upsets in the modern game.

As a player, the Windies’ limited-overs coach Daren Sammy led the regional side to victory in the 2012 and 2016 Twenty20 World Cups. He rates the Test win as the finest moment he has seen for the Windies outside those global titles.

“Watching that Test match, it’s the third-best thing I’ve seen in West Indies,” Sammy, a former captain in all three formats for the side, said.

“The young man Shamar’s inspiring performance, when somebody performs like that the team rises. And it was so good to watch. We see the smile on my face every time you go back to that, and I just hope my men whenever challenges come they could just remember that if you push through there’s always gold at the end of the rainbow.”

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Australian keeper Josh Inglis has tested positive for COVID-19 but will play today’s match

Inglis will use a separate dressing room and stay distanced from his teammates – let’s see how that goes if he pulls off a cracking catch.