England's Limited-Overs Tour Of South Africa Abandoned

The limited-overs tour of South Africa by England has been called off as per the latest developments, reported by ESPN Cricinfo. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had already marred the series and being beyond repair, stands cancelled on medical grounds. While the three-match T20 series got completed by the two sides successfully, the ODIs will not take place after news of abandonment came to light.

The opening match of the 50-over series, scheduled to take place on Friday in Cape Town got postponed as a COVID-19 positive case emerged in the Proteas’ camp. The unnamed player got sent to isolation while the rest of the players in the squad returned with negative tests on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, the second ODI was scheduled for Monday before the same was announced as abandoned too. The reason was that there were two unconfirmed positive COVID-19 instances appeared from England’s camp. Cricket South Africa (CSA) and England Cricket Board (ECB) jointly confirmed, issuing the statement after the delayed first ODI in Paarl was eventually cancelled. A couple of English players have tested positive for the deadly disease along with two workers at the hotel.

South Africa’s decision to cancel the series a massive concern ahead of future visits:

The decision to call off the series, taken on Monday is undoubtedly a massive blow to Cricket South Africa’s hopes of resuming cricket fully in the nation after the pandemic. With the likes of Sri Lanka, Australia, and Pakistan to visit the country, the trio could reconsider their decision after seeing the magnitude of problems England encountered within the bubble.

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