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The short tour from England to South Africa could be canceled after the first One-Day International was canceled on Sunday.
Two staff members and two members of the England tour group, staying at the luxurious Cape Town hotel, where South Africa and England meet, tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.
As a result, the three-game One-Day International (ODI) series could be canceled, as this was the third known violation of the supposedly biosecure environment (bio-bubbles).
An hour after announcing the delayed start in Paarl on Sunday, the match was abandoned. The upshot is that the entire tour, which was scheduled to end on Wednesday, could end without a pitched ball in the ODI series.
The first ODI, which was originally scheduled for Newlands on Friday, was delayed due to a positive test for Covid-19 at the Proteas camp. That game was postponed to Sunday. But after Sunday’s cancellation, whether the remaining two matches go ahead is up in the air, as the spread of the outbreak is still under investigation.
“Following the test results, two members of the group touring England have returned unconfirmed positive tests for Covid-19,” CSA said in a statement Sunday. “Players and management now isolate themselves in their rooms until the medical teams receive new advice.”
On Thursday an anonymous member of the Proteas squad returned a positive test, ultimately prompting the postponement of the first ODI. That incident created tension between the parties as the England Cricket Board (ECB) worried that South African players had compromised the integrity of the bio-bubble.
That situation was denied by South Africa’s management, and on Sunday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) director of cricket, Graeme Smith, tried to smooth the relationship.
“CSA is doing everything in our power to ensure that our highest priority, which is the health, safety and well-being of the players, support personnel and everyone involved in this series, is protected. With that in mind, we have made the joint decision to cancel today’s match.
“We deeply regret this situation given the amount of time and energy that has been invested to organize a successful tour. We will continue to give the England team all the support they need.
“We are in ongoing discussions with the ECB as we navigate the situation under the guidance of our combined medical teams.”
Ashley Giles, England Men’s Cricket Managing Director, said: “We regret not being able to play in today’s ODI, but the well-being of the players and support staff is our primary concern and as we await the results of the additional testing, the council Doctor of both teams was that this game should not take place.
“We are in constant dialogue with Cricket South Africa and will continue to work closely with them to determine the best way forward.”
Increased acrimony
It seems that behind the scenes the situation is turning sour, with fingers pointing at who was to blame for bursting the bubble. After last Friday’s postponement, CSA’s chief medical officer, Dr. Shuaib Manjra, said England had raised concerns about a bio-bubble breakdown by the Protea.
“There is cause for concern and England have expressed concern. England is questioning the confidence they have in the biosecure environment and rightly so, “Manjra said in a video message.
“If there has been a player who tested positive in the last week, he has cause for concern and we respect that concern. We met with the English medical team and we have planned a path.
“This test surprised us because we are confident in the integrity of the biosecure environment. Other evidence indicates that this is a more recent case that occurred within the biosecure environment.
“So clearly there appears to be some kind of infraction, which we have investigated in great detail to try to determine where it happened.
“We have gone through a couple of different spaces, trying to relate some of the events: talking to the players, looking at security cameras, looking at other information and we have not been able to identify where the source was to date, but clearly it is cause for concern” .
The Vineyard Hotel, where both teams are staying, issued a statement Sunday, explaining their role in the situation.
“The Vineyard Hotel can confirm that two staff members tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, December 4, after routine testing following a positive test from a cricketer on Thursday, December 3,” said Roy Davies, manager. General of The Vineyard.
“All the remaining personnel who work and live in the biosafety zone were examined on Saturday, December 5, and all gave negative results on Sunday, December 6.
“At this stage, it is not clear how the two staff members were infected, as neither has left the biosecure area since November 16 and they do not work on the same team or in the same area. Our Covid response team is struggling to establish all the facts and contact is being traced.
“Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and guests, and we have put all our resources and efforts into investigating and resolving the situation.
“Those infected are isolated in apartments on site outside the biosecurity zone at some distance from the hotel, which have been kept sterilized and available for this purpose.”
The new normal
If the ODI series is dropped, CSA could lose up to R30 million in much-needed streaming revenue.
The events of the last 72 hours have also created concern during the rest of the summer tours. Sri Lanka and Australia are due to tour for the next 10 weeks and will need strong assurances that the biosecurity gaps in Cape Town were not due to lack of planning or implementation.
As investigations continue, the reality and difficulties of playing sports and traveling in a Covid-19 world become apparent. With dozens of players, support staff, hotel and security kept under lock and key, breaches are a possibility.
“I am convinced that 99% of the time this environment works,” Manjra said. “There may be a violation that we are not aware of and may have caused this positive test. So I’m not saying there is zero risk. There may be a slight risk that we cannot mitigate. There are a lot of moving parts on a tour like this, and we’re trying to control that. ”
It’s that 1% risk that can keep touring teams out. That is something that CSA simply cannot afford. DM
