India Tour of South Africa – Series without spectators? Cricket South Africa (CSA) is extremely desperate for the India tour to go ahead despite the scare gripping the country due to new variant of the Covid-19 virus. With huge financial implications involved, CSA CEO declared on Friday night that if required entire series can be played without spectators – that too only at limited venues. On the other hand, BCCI is employing wait and watch policy before a final call is taken on the scheduled tour – Follow all LIVE Updates
“We can play without spectators in the same way we did against Pakistan and Sri Lanka because the government knows we prepare strong bio-bubbles. With the way things are panning out, I guess the only thing we can do now is to wait on the government and see what happens. We hope we don’t get to a state where there is a total shutdown.”
India Tour of South Africa: New Covid variant threatens India’s South Africa tour, Johannesburg & Pretoria among venues on high alert
“The tour for now is still on, even BCCI has assured that to us. There’s no reason for it not to go on unless we’re blindsided by something we’re not expecting”, declared CSA acting chief executive officer Pholetsi Moseki
India Tour of South Africa: CSA CEO says ’series can be played without spectators’, Ganguly says ‘talks on’
Not only series can be played without spectators but also possibilities are being explored to conduct the matches only at ‘safer-venues, limited travel & very very strict bio-bubble measures’
- It is learnt that Bloemfontein, Paarl and Port Elizabeth could be the alternate Test venues in CSA’s new plan to move the matches to “safer venues”
- The series consisting of three Tests, three ODIs and 4 T20Is will be played between Johannesburg, Centurion, Cape Town and Paarl from December 17 to January 26.
- CSA has assured BCCI that team will only take one internal flight in South Africa, from Johannesburg to Cape Town, thus reducing any or all other domestic travel.
- First two test matches will be played at Jo’Burg & Centurion – both cities are just 1 hour drive from each other.
- Teams will then take CHARTERED FLIGHT to Cape Town.
- 3rd Test will be played at Cape Town & all white-ball matches either at Cape Town or Paarl.
