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- CSA Medical Director Dr. Shuaib Manjra confirmed that an investigation was carried out after a Proteas player tested positive prior to ODI’s three-game series against England.
- Friday’s opening ODI at Newlands was subsequently postponed and CSA was unsure how the positive test came about.
- Manjra insisted that it is “impossible” for any player to break the biosecure environment with a large security created to secure the bubble.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) medical director Dr. shuaib manjra revealed his concern after the first ODI against England was postponed because a Proteas player tested positive for Covid-19.
The opening ODI between Proteas and England was postponed an hour before the scheduled date of Friday’s game in Newlands.
This is the third time a Proteas player has tested positive for the coronavirus since the 24-man squad was announced ahead of the England tour.
One player had tested positive before the Proteas entered their biobubble in Cape Town, while a second had tested positive inside the biobubble and was immediately isolated from the team.
Manjra admitted that CSA was “shocked” by the positive test and claimed that an investigation was conducted, which turned out to be a dead end.
“This (positive) test surprised us, we were confident in the integrity of the biosecure environment,” Manjra said.
“This is the most recent case that occurred within the biosecure environment, so there is some type of violation, which we investigated in detail to try to determine where it happened.
“We have gone through a couple of different spaces. We tried to relate the events of the last few days, talking to the player, looking at the security cameras and we have not been able to identify where the source came from.”
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England became the first international team to tour South Africa since the coronavirus pandemic. It was also Protea’s first experience of being in a biosecurity bubble.
Manjra insisted that the biosecurity bubble has worked despite the second positive test in the bubble.
“I am convinced that 99 percent of the time that this environment is working, a gap that we do not know about has caused a positive test,” he said.
“There are a lot of moving parts on a tour like this and we are trying to control that.”
CSA confirmed that another Covid-19 test will take place on Friday night (6:30 pm) and the first ODI is now scheduled for Paarl on Sunday.
There will also be another coronavirus test planned on Tuesday before the final ODI match on Wednesday.
Manjra dismissed any rumors suggesting that a player had left his hotel without authorization, stating that the tour is under strict security until December 10.
“I can state categorically that no player could leave the hotel environment,” said the doctor.
“The security around will not allow a player to leave unless that player leaves in an assigned / official vehicle. There is a command center run by a colonel from the Claremont police force and they strictly enforce the bio-bubble. They will not allow anyone to leave.
“It is impossible to leave this biosecure environment for any player or official.”
The Proteas modified the tour dates:
Sunday December 6 – 1st ODI, Boland Park, Paarl (Day Match)
Monday December 7 – 2nd ODI, Newlands, Cape Town (Match day-night)
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – 3rd ODI, Newlands, Cape Town (Day-Night Match)
