Sunday's first ODI between South Africa and England in Paarl was cancelled following two unconfirmed positive COVID-19 tests from the England camp; CSA and ECB to discuss how best to proceed concerning the remaining two matches of ODI series
Monday 7 December 2020 11:29, UK
The second one-day international between South Africa and England, set for Monday in Cape Town, was postponed.
England returned two "unconfirmed" positive coronavirus tests which resulted in the cancellation of their first ODI in Paarl on Sunday.
Those cases are still being independently ratified and as a result the second ODI, which was due to take place at Newlands, was postponed.
A statement read: "The decision has been taken by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) whilst they await the outcome of the independent ratification of the two unconfirmed positive COVID-19 tests from the England camp and the continued health and wellbeing of both playing groups.
"Once the findings of this review have been received, CSA and ECB will then discuss how best to proceed concerning the remaining two matches of this ODI series."
The first of the three one-day internationals had already been postponed on Friday after a third Proteas player tested positive and it was scrapped entirely on Sunday morning when it emerged that two members of staff at the teams' shared hotel in Cape Town and potentially those two members of the England party had joined the growing outbreak.
All of England's players and management staff were initially forced to isolate in their rooms but that was later relaxed, with everyone apart from the two unconfirmed positive cases permitted to use the hotel grounds.
The ECB and CSA say a decision on the final two matches of the series - originally scheduled for Monday and Wednesday - will be made once the results of the tests are ratified independently by medical experts.
Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain considers the ramifications for the remainder of the series...
"Fingers crossed they get retested and it was an anomaly, but players will be increasingly concerned that the bubble has been breached and they'll be counting down the days until Thursday and their flight home.
"They were due to play on Monday at Newlands, I guess they could push the game back and play Tuesday and Wednesday - there's no way they are going to get three games in but they could play back-to-back games and fly back Thursday.
"It will be a challenge but players sort of get used to that, back-to-back games for them, they'll just get it done and dusted and get home. But mentally it will be tough, especially from some of these guys who have been at the IPL like the skipper, Eoin Morgan.
"England players will be thinking it's December 6, we then have to spend two weeks here if one of us get it and we're going to be late home for Christmas. Can we spread it to grandparents and other family members and things like that?
"They will be really concerned. Some of them have to go off to Sri Lanka on January 2 so there will be a lot of meetings, you can imagine the WhatsApp groups going on between players - 'should we just get ourselves home for the sake of two or three one-day internationals?'
"The ramifications for the South African broadcasting rights are huge. That is why all this effort has been put in place and England will bear that in mind; the West Indies and Pakistan came over to England and did their bit, stayed in the bubble - there's a bit of unity in world cricket that 'we'll look after you, you look after us'.
"People won't forget what West Indies and Pakistan did, so England won't just jump on a plane and say 'we're not interested in fulfilling your broadcasting right.' They will do whatever they can, they'll wait for the test results of all the players then they'll leave it to the hierarchy to decide.
"The only thing is that it's Christmas, family time, and they've been in a bubble for so long. Could they cope with another two weeks of quarantine if one person gets it?"
