Australia postpone SA Test tour due to high Covid-19 risk
AFP
Australia postpone SA Test tour due to high Covid-19 risk / Photo: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia on Tuesday put off the three-match Test tour to South Africa scheduled for March citing a high risk to players with the coronavirus rampant in the country.
While Australia even named their Test squad last week with intent to fly, the recent outbreak in South Africa accelerated by a new variant made them change their plans.
The country has the highest number of cases and death in the continent with almost 1.5 million detected infections and more than 44,000 fatalities.
Australia offered to host their now-postponed Test series against
The Aussies announced on Tuesday (February 2) they were pulling out of the three-match series citing concerns over the rising Covid-19 cases in South Africa, a decision which has proven unpopular with their hosts.
However, while Hockley says he understands Cricket South Africa’s frustrations, the health and safety of those involved was his number one priority.
Speaking to
ABC, Hockley said: We did offer to host the series here, but Cricket South Africa made that very clear that they have lots of other commitments and with quarantine periods and the like, it just wasn’t feasible.
South Africa knock back Cricket Australia s Test tour lifeline
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Interim Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley has revealed South Africa rejected a lifeline offered to rescue the Test series.
According to Hockley, CA proposed to host the tour as an alternative option for Cricket South Africa, with a series to kick off in Perth in March. However, that proposal was knocked back by CSA. We ll work through over the coming weeks and months when we may be able to reschedule the series. We did offer to host the series here but Cricket South Africa made that very clear that they ve got lots of other commitments and quarantine periods and the like that wasn t feasible, he said.
Cricket Australia pull out of South Africa tour over unacceptable COVID risk Wednesday, 3 February 2021
Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) director of cricket Graeme Smith has reacted angrily after Australia pulled out of their tour at the 11th hour due to coronavirus concerns.
Australia were due to fly to South Africa ahead of the three-match test series which was part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship.
But the series, which was due to start on March 3, has now been postponed after Cricket Australia (CA) claimed the current coronavirus situation in South Africa posed an unacceptable risk to players and staff.