ODI Series against England at risk of being cancelled

The Proteas bus seen in Kenilworth, Cape Town on Friday. Photo: @ZaahierAdams on twitter

The Proteas bus seen in Kenilworth, Cape Town on Friday. Photo: @ZaahierAdams on twitter

Published Dec 4, 2020

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CAPE TOWN - Cricket SA face an anxious 24-hour wait for the results of emergency Covid-19 tests conducted on the Proteas to determine whether the ODI series against England will go ahead.

The first ODI was dramatically called off on Friday morning just an hour before play was due to start at Newlands after it emerged that a Proteas player had tested positive after the latest round of testing conducted on Thursday.

The Proteas have already had one player test positive prior to the squad coming together on November 18 and then a second player within the bio-secure environment just two days later. Both players missed the T20I series due to being in quarantine, but were expected to return to the squad for the one-day series.

A decision has since been made to start the three-match series in Paarl on Sunday, with the remaining two matches set to be played at Newlands on Monday and Wednesday. However, these fixtures are all now in doubt pending the latest round of testing particularly as Proteas team doctor Shuaib Manjra confirmed a breach of bio-secure environment had occurred.

“We had a scheduled Covid-19 test for the team and we unexpectedly had a positive. It was not an unusual test as it was a regular test for the bio-bubble. And clearly this test surprised us. We have confidence in the integrity of the bubble. Further tests indicate that this is a more recent infection that occurred within the bio-secure environment,” Manjra confirmed on Friday afternoon.

“It is clear that there has been some form of breach and we have investigated in great detail to determine where this has happened. But as imagined we have traversed into different spaces and we have tried to recount certain events by speaking to the player, looking at security cameras, looking at other information and we haven't been able to date identify what the source was, but clearly it is cause for concern.”

Manjra has, however, confirmed that no Proteas has left the Vineyard hotel – where both teams are staying – without official consent.

“I can categorically state that no player is able to leave the hotel environment because of the security around and the security will not allow the player to leave unless the player is leaving in an assigned official vehicle with an official driver,” he said.

“There is a command centre here led by the Colonel of the Claremont Police Force and they strictly enforce the bio-bubble. Some of our players had left as a group to go to the Oval (across the road) to train and that became a matter of concern because they had seen it and we had to address that concern with Colonel and his command centre. I am saying it's basically impossible to leave this bio-secure environment for any player or official.”

Independent Media understands that the English team are concerned with the positive tests emanating from the Proteas camp, particularly due to the rules back in England which could force them to quarantine upon returning home and thereby possibly miss spending Christmas with their families.

“We respect that concern. We have met with the English medical teams and we have planned the way forward. We will retest all of our players and hotel staff tomorrow (Saturday). We will await the results and determine the course of action and then on Tuesday before the final ODI on Wednesday we will retest the team again.”

England Men's Cricket Managing Director Ashley Giles, however, remains “hopeful that the three-match series will be played before we depart next Thursday starting with the match at Paarl on Sunday."

@ZaahierAdams

@IOLSport

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