Cape Town: England’s ODI cricket series in South Africa was called off Monday after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the luxurious and supposedly bio-secure Cape Town hotel where both teams are staying. Both squads have had members infected, while two workers at the hotel also contracted the disease.
The decision to cancel the series was taken by both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The two federations said in a statement that the decision to cancel the series was made ‘to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams’.
The ECB and CSA said they were effectively postponing the series until a suitable time could be found for England to travel back to South Africa to play the games.
The opening game of the series was scheduled for Friday at the Newlands here. However, it was postponed to Sunday and moved to the nearby city of Paarl after a South African player tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of the game.
That first ODI was then cancelled completely Sunday after it was revealed that two hotel staff members had tested positive. That development forced the England contingent to undergo a new round of tests.
Two members of the England group then tested positive for COVID-19. The ECB however, said it wanted the tests verified by an independent medical team before making a decision on the remainder of the tour.
Both the ECB and CSA had said there was hope that the remaining two ODI games might be able to go ahead but that was ended with Monday’s announcement. “We have always maintained that the welfare of our players and management is paramount,” ECB CEO Tom Harrison said.
The England party also didn’t have a confirmed date to leave for home. The squad was scheduled to return home on a chartered plane Thursday.
If the two members of England’s touring party were confirmed as positive for COVID-19, they would likely have to remain in South Africa and self-isolate for 10 days. None of the people to test positive on the tour have been named.
England’s limited-overs tour was organized at short-notice to give both teams a chance to play some cricket after the coronavirus pandemic led to a string of series cancellations across the world.
The teams have already played a three-game Twenty20 series, which went ahead even after the first two South African players contracted COVID-19, and which England won 3-0.