Why has South Africa vs England 1st ODI in Cape Town been postponed?

South Africa vs England 1st ODI: The first ODI between South Africa and England has been postponed to Sunday, i.e., December 6.

In addition to a three-match T20I series between Australia and India, another intriguing bilateral series which was scheduled to begin today was a three-match ODI series between South Africa and England.

Having said that, the same has been postponed to December 6 after a South African player has tested positive for COVID-19. The same was made public around an hour before the start of play in Cape Town.

While there have been reports of a bio-bubble breach after the conclusion of a three-match T20I series, the same is yet to be confirmed. Players have tested for COVID-19 amidst an international series this year but this is the first time when the same has resulted in the postponement of the match.

ALSO READ: When and where to watch South Africa vs England ODI series?

All the players and support staff involved in the series will now undergo COVID-19 tests before the first ODI which is now been rescheduled to Sunday.

Why has South Africa vs England 1st ODI in Cape Town been postponed?

“This decision results from a player from the Proteas team testing positive for Covid-19 after the teams’ last round of scheduled testing performed on Thursday ahead of the ODIs.

“In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all involved in the match, the acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement.

Rest of series depends on next round of testing. Another positive test would suggest spread and that could be the end for the series. Can’t see how SA have time to bring in new players, isolate and test them before clearing them to play

— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) December 4, 2020

South Africa vs England ODI series latest schedule:

December 6 (Sunday) – 1st ODI, Paarl

December 7 (Sunday) – 2nd ODI, Cape Town

December 9 (Sunday) – 3rd ODI, Cape Town

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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