The first ODI between South Africa and England, which was to be held on Friday at Cape Town, has been postponed just an hour before the start of play after a South African member tested positive for Covid-19. The result came out positive after the latest round of testing on Thursday. Cricket South Africa announced that the opening fixture will now be played on Sunday “in the interests of safety.”
A Cricket South Africa statement read: “Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) would like to announce the postponement of the first Betway One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series to Sunday, 6 December 2020.
“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.”
The ODI on Sunday will now be held in Boland Park at Paarl, instead of Cape Town’s Newlands Stadium. Cape Town will host the second and third games next week.