With time running out and a number of plans yet to fall into place for India to fly to South Africa, the BCCI is left with no choice now but to sit across the table with Cricket South Africa (CSA) and reschedule the series.
There’s an effort being made right now by the BCCI to see if three Test matches can be brought down to two, thus allowing the Indian team some more time before they can fly out. Any call to this effect is likely to be taken over the next 48 hours.
The Indian cricketers remain unconvinced about the tour – to play three Tests, three one-day internationals and four T20s – as of now. Arriving in Mumbai to play the second Test against New Zealand and knowing that they would be expected to immediately move into a bio-bubble, the players have a lot of questions and no answers.
Team members had raised a set of questions recently when news started coming in over the last two weeks of a new variant mutating at a very fast pace in countries like South Africa and Botswana. However, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) both maintained that the series could go ahead inside a very strict bio-secure bubble, while ensuring the series would require bare-minimum air travel within South Africa, thus reducing the risk of any outside contact.
The first two Tests are scheduled in Johannesburg and Centurion, a drive away from each other while the third Test and the white-ball matches are scheduled in Cape Town and Paarl, again within a short driving distance.
The Indian board was scheduled to revert to the players and provide answers to the queries that were raised. TOI understands that the BCCI had agreed to the idea of answering these queries in the form of a FAQ, which hasn’t happened yet.
“Until the players get a reply from the BCCI, confusion will prevail because nobody knows anything. But if you look at the statement that’s been released by a ministerial department of the government of South Africa, it emphasizes on the security process and thanks BCCI for the deep relationship the two countries have shared. That’s their way of saying, ‘come and we’ll take care’. The ball is now in BCCI’s court,” say sources privy to developments.
