New water company to check stomach bug

Colombo: World Twenty20 organisers have changed the bottled water supplier and called in food inspectors to check the spread of suspected gastro virus at the tournament, officials said on Monday.

Several players from New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and Australia have reportedly been treated for stomach bugs since their arrival in Sri Lanka, with Kiwi Tim Southee even requiring hospital treatment for dehydration.

An International Cricket Council (ICC) spokesman said the brand of bottled water used by players and officials so far in the tournament had been replaced.

World Twenty20 organisers have changed the bottled water supplier to check the spread of gastro virus.

"Although there is no evidence to suggest that water was the cause of any illness, the product supplied for use in the tournament has been replaced," the spokesman said.

A Sri Lankan source connected with the tournament said public health inspectors had checked the food given to the players and found nothing untoward.

"If an entire team, or at least a majority, go down, we can understand that there is something wrong with the food and beverages department," the source added.

"Just a few players have been affected."

No official complaints had been lodged by any of the teams, he added.

Among players who went down with gastro trouble over the past two weeks included New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, Mitchell Starc and Brad Hogg of Australia, and Paul Stirling and George Dockrell of Ireland.

The 12-nation tournament, Sri Lanka's biggest sporting event, opened on September 18 and runs till October 8.

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