COVID-19: England cricket tour of South Africa abandoned after positive virus tests
A South Africa cricketer tested positive, as did staff at the teams' hotel, and England players returned "unconfirmed" results.
Monday 7 December 2020 14:32, UK
England's one day international (ODI) cricket tour of South Africa has been abandoned after several positive coronavirus tests left players feeling uncomfortable about continuing.
The first match in Cape Town was postponed last Friday after a member of the South Africa squad tested positive for COVID-19.
After being rearranged for Sunday, it was then abandoned after hotel staff where the teams are staying also contracted coronavirus, while two members of England's touring party returned "unconfirmed positive tests", forcing the entire camp to briefly isolate in their individual rooms.
Because of the unconfirmed results in the England camp, Monday's ODI in Cape Town was postponed to await ratification of the tests.
There had been hopes that the two sides could play back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, but players were apparently uneasy about continuing their stay in "bubbles" that had clearly been infiltrated.
The five-star Vineyard Hotel in Newlands had been described as a "bio-secure environment".
England are due to depart from South Africa on Thursday, leaving few options left for the squads to complete fixtures, resulting in the decision to postpone the tour.
A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) said: "The decision was taken jointly by the two boards to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams.
"The ECB and CSA will now work together to determine when the three-match series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men's Super League, can take place in the future."
It's not an unfamiliar feeling for England, with the squad's previous overseas assignment - a two-Test trip to Sri Lanka back in March - also ending early because of the pandemic.
Tom Harrison, the ECB's chief executive, said: "We were concerned about the potential impact that recent developments might have on the wellbeing of the touring party, and so after consultation with CSA, we have jointly made the decision to postpone the remaining matches in this series, in the best interest of the players' welfare."
CSA's acting chief executive Kugandrie Govender added: "The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly, and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us."
England's separate Twenty20 series in South Africa was unaffected, with the tourists running out 3-0 winners, which moved them to the top of the world rankings.