Coronavirus pandemic: South African cricketers fly back early after being stranded

South Africa’s tour of India for three ODIs was recently called off by the respective boards of both nations in wake of the ongoing worldwide panic created by Coronavirus. After the opening washed-out affair in Dharamsala, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made an announcement that the remaining two fixtures will be played in empty stadiums for the safety of the fans and players. Eventually, the idea was scrapped for the overall cancellation of the series.

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Coronavirus pandemic: South Africa stars return home from India

Had the India vs South Africa series gone ahead as planned originally, the South African cricket team would have flown back home from Kolkata after the conclusion of the third ODI. However, the players were then reported to leave the city on Tuesday, March 17 itself due to the midway cancellation of the series. Meanwhile, the Proteas were then seen flying back home from Kolkata as early as on March 16 after they were left stranded in the city. According to reports, they were denied entry at the City Centre on Monday, March 16 and ended up stranded in Kolkata.

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The South Africa stars were spotted taking flight after leaving the Rajarhat Hotel near the airport on March 16. According to Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Avishek Dalmiya, the authorities wanted them to stay closer to the airport and they also provided doctors for support.

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Coronavirus Pandemic: Coronavirus impact on IPL 2020 and other series

The outbreak of the highly-contagious Coronavirus has impacted various bilateral cricketing contests all over the world. Just like the cancellation of the India and South Africa series, the Chappell-Hadlee series in Australia was also postponed until further announcement. The much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) was also postponed till April 15 by BCCI. Earlier, IPL 2020 was scheduled to commence on March 29.

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