SA vs ENG ODI schedule revised after player tests positive for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has made its first major disruption to a bilateral series in cricket, with the South Africa Cricket board announcing the postponement of the South Africa vs England ODI series due to begin on Friday, December 4. With the England-West Indies series serving as the litmus test and setting the standards for the rest of the cricketing fraternity, bio-bubbles have proved to be hugely effective in preventing the spread of the virus. Hence, there have been no significant incidents related to the COVID-19 pandemic since the resumption of international cricket early in July this year. 

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SA vs ENG 1st ODI postponed after COVID-19 scare

In a first of its kind incident, the SA vs ENG 1st ODI has been pushed back from its originally scheduled starting date of December 4, to Sunday, December 6 after a player from the South African camp tested positive for the Coronavirus. Both the South Africa Cricket Board and the English Cricket Board announced that they had taken the decision unanimously, "In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials, and all involved in the match". 

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The official communication from both teams regarding this postponement reads, "This decision results from a player from the Proteas team testing positive for COVID-19 after the teams’ last round of scheduled testing performed on Thursday ahead of the #BetwayODI series". The identity of the concerned player has not been made public as of now. Apart from the expected question of who the affected player is, the most important question on the minds of organizers and fans will be, how?

Considering that both teams should have undergone multiple tests before the start of the series and should have been following stringent quarantine laws the chances of infection should have been infinitesimal. Additionally, it is concerning that an infection has been caught in the middle of the tour, when players have already been quarantining for the T20I series that was won 3-0 by England on December 1. It is unclear what the chances are, of any other players having contracted the virus or the chances of detecting it this early.

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SA vs ENG news: Amended ODI series dates

So fat, the ECB and SA Cricket seem positive about the tour. The amended tour dates for the South Africa vs England ODI series have been announced as follows:

Sunday, December 6, 2020 – 1st ODI, Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl (Day Match)

Monday, December 7, 2020 – 2nd ODI, Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town (Day-night Match)

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – 3rd ODI, Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town (Day-night Match)

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Image Credits: South Africa Cricket Twitter