The remainder of the white-ball tour between England and South Africa has been called off amid coronavirus.
It is with a joint statement that Cricket South Africa (CSA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced the cancellation of the remainder of the white ball series. This decision had been made to ensure the mental and physical health of the players of both teams.
This followed shortly after a South African player and two members of their hotel staff tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the English side also stated that two members of their team returned unconfirmed positive tests as well.
To date, England is still waiting for the confirmation of the test results as the two people on their side are yet to be tested on Monday again. Once the results are out, it will only be by then that the English side will have to leave South Africa.
As per ECB CEO Tom Harrison, ‘We have always maintained that the welfare of our players and management is paramount. We were concerned about the potential impact that recent developments might have on the wellbeing of the touring party, and so after consultation with Cricket South Africa, we have jointly made the decision to postpone the remaining matches in this series, in the best interest of the players' welfare’.
‘I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their support and understanding on this matter and look forward to working with them to identify a time when we can return to play these fixtures in the future’, he added.
CSA also released their official statement when their acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said, ‘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’.
‘I would like to thank the ECB for the continued positive relations, and we look forward to hosting the England team in the near future’, she added.
Only the T20Is had been completed in the said tour. After the ODIs had all been postponed, the two cricket boards will have to try rescheduling it since it is a part of the International Cricket Super League. To learn more about these formats of cricket, visit Betwala.
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