Cricket South Africa (CSA) has put its ongoing domestic competition on hold after ten members of their 16-man Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka series were exposed to coronavirus while participating in the first-class matches recently. Three four-day contests were to get underway from Sunday.
Five cricketers were part of a match between Dolphins and Titans which was abandoned on Monday after a player was found to be COVID-19 positive. Another five were part of the match between Eagles and Lions during which a player tested positive but the contest went ahead.
“In the interest of CSA’s duty of care to its franchise players, support staff and stadium personnel and in accordance with Government health and safety regulations, CSA has opted to postpone the final round of domestic fixtures of 2020,” CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith said in a media release.
Among the Test cricketers who were not exposed are captain Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne, Anrich Nortje and Glenton Stuurman. All those who are part of the Test series will be tested positive before entering the bio-secure bubble.
CSA convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang said there is a possibility of few members joining the squad late.
“All the players will be tested before going into the bubble,” Mpitsang confirmed.
The domestic matches have been postponed to next month.
“CSA is committed to mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on the 2020/21 season, with the upcoming two-match Test series between South Africa and Sri Lanka being played in a bio-secure environment, which is a more controlled space than the domestic competition,” Smith said.
South Africa will host Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series starting December 26 and will go ahead as planned despite the latest development.
