India’s tour of South Africa, which includes three test matches, as many ODIs and four T20Is, is slated to begin in December, but a new twist on Covid-19 has raised the alarm in the country and could disrupt its sports calendar.
India will set off on a seven-week tour of South Africa in December. (Reuters photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- India’s tour of South Africa is slated to end in January
- The management of the Dutch cricket team meets with CSA officials
- India A is currently playing two unofficial Tests in South Africa
A new Covid-19 variant could devastate the South African sports calendar in the next two months. This is also the period during which the country is expected to host the Indian cricket team in three tests, as many ODIs and four T20Is over seven weeks.
Cases are increasing in the northern part of the country, and at least two of the test series’ venues – Johannesburg and Pretoria – could become susceptible to the spread of the new variant.
Scientists assume that the high number of mutations could make the new variant more resistant to vaccines and more transmissible. It could also lead to an increase in the severity of Covid-19 symptoms.
Four rugby teams were scheduled to play South African opponents in the United Rugby Championship (URC) but Welsh clubs Cardiff and Scarlets said they wanted to leave as Britain prepares to put travel restrictions on starting Friday. Reuters reports that the URC games are about to be canceled.
“With the situation in South Africa changing so quickly, we are now trying to get our employees back to their home countries as soon as possible,” Cardiff said on Twitter. “Concerned families and friends can rest assured that our focus is on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our employees and keeping you informed of any developments.”
The second round of the Joburg Open started at 7 a.m. local time, but by then 15 British and Irish golfers had already retired.
The Dutch cricket team is currently in South Africa for an ODI tour with three games, the first of which will be played on Friday. According to ESPNCricinfo, the management of the touring team will meet with the Cricket South Africa (CSA) official to decide whether the second and third games of the three-ODI series will take place as planned.
India A is also touring South Africa for two unofficial test matches. According to PTI, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is of the opinion that the senior team’s tour will continue until it receives a detailed picture of the ground situation from CSA. India is expected to leave for South Africa on December 8th or 9th.
South Africa’s ODI tour of India was among the first cricket tours to be canceled when the pandemic broke out worldwide in 2020. It eventually resulted in a freeze on all cricket activity around the world ahead of the West Indies test tour of England in July 2020. England later canceled its tour of South Africa in December 2020 following a Covid-19 outbreak in the latter country.
India’s fifth test in England in Manchester earlier this year was canceled after visitors refused to play the game amid Covid-19 fears.
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