MUMBAI: Virat Kohli’s Team India is set to clash against South Africa in the three-Test series beginning with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion on Sunday (December 26) under the shadow of COVID-19 once against with the spread of the Omicron variant all over the world.
Strict COVID-19 prevention measures have been put in place, which include playing the Test series behind closed doors.
There are several guarantees given to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by Cricket South Africa (CSA), which include beds in hospital if Indian players need to be admitted for any reasons.
“In case an Indian player needs to be hospitalised for whatever reason, we’ve approached some of the hospital groups who’ve guaranteed us beds in hospitals,” CSA chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra was quoted as saying by news24.com.
“If there needs to be repatriation and the borders are closed, the government has given a guarantee that they will allow the players and the team to go back to India,” Manjra added.
CSA had announced earlier this week that tickets for the Test series will not be available on sale. Manjra said CSA has done everything to ensure the safety of the visitors and also left the ‘path open’ should they want to leave at any point.
“One thing we can’t control is how the Indian government deals with it. We’ve got DIRCO [Department of International Relations and Cooperation] talking to the Indian government but, as CSA, we don’t have control over that in terms of what the rules and regulations are when the players go back,” Manjra said.
“I think we’ve taken whatever measures we can to ensure that the Indian team is not only safe here, but should they need to leave for whatever reason, that the path is open for them to leave at any point that they wish,” he added.
India is scheduled to play three Tests and as many ODIs during their current tour of South Africa.
