MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) have come to an agreement over the fate of India’s scheduled full tour to South Africa later this month, which had been put in jeopardy following the discovery of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus in Southern Africa.
In a statement on Saturday, CSA noted: “India will play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and three Tests against the Proteas. However, the four scheduled T20 matches will be rescheduled in the new year, as part of the joint MoU.
“Pursuant to a very cordial relationship between the Board of Cricket South Africa and the Board of Cricket Commission of India, the tour is now confirmed and the arrival timings of the India team will be moved out by a week, to allow for effective logistical planning.”
The first Test will start on December 26. India were originally meant to arrive on 9 December.
The Indian team, which is currently playing New Zealand at home, will arrive from their bio-safe environment (BSE) in India and get chartered straight into another bubble in SA.
CSA will confirm match venues in the next 48 hours, local media reported. As per ESPNcricinfo, the first Test will now begin on December 26 in Centurion, the second from January 3 in Johannesburg and the third from January 11 or 12 in Cape Town, which will also host all three ODIs.
The tour is the final major international event hosted in South Africa this year and carries great financial significance for Cricket South Africa (CSA) in particular and the country’s sporting economy in general.
“For us as CSA it is always a meeting of old friends when the Proteas take on India, but we will still present the fans with a compelling proposition and a great spectacle to watch. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank our commercial partners and fans, as we promise them a great game of cricket ahead,” said CSA acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki said.
Moseki added: “I would like to thank both the leadership of Cricket South Africa, as well as the leadership of the BCCI for working so tirelessly to make this tour a reality. Even under the most uncertain times, the Boards kept the light of hope alive and kept us anticipating that this tour will indeed take place.”
Earlier BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed the development. Speaking to news agency ANI in Kolkata, where the BCCI is holding its AGM on Saturday (December 4), he said, “BCCI has confirmed CSA that the Indian team will travel for three Tests and three ODIs. The remaining four T20Is will be played at a later date.”
One of the concerns of the Indian team was reportedly that they wanted clarity on return. With the Indian government placing restrictions on those coming from Omicron-hit countries, the players were worried if they would be asked to undergo institutional quarantine on return.
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