South Africa, England ODI series to go ahead after positive COVID-19 tests

The view of the scoreboard at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Friday. (Reuters)

The ODI series between South Africa and England will start in Paarl on Sunday after the host’s squad returned a full set of negative results in their latest round of coronavirus testing, officials have confirmed.

The series due to start on Friday had been thrown into doubt after a South African player tested positive in their bio-secure hotel environment during mandatory testing on Thursday, with the first match at Newlands postponed an hour before its start.

England expressed concern over the strength of the bio-secure environment after the positive result, while a South African team investigation has not yet shown how the unnamed player caught the virus.

“The entire Proteas team has returned negative results from the COVID-19 tests that were conducted yesterday evening in Cape Town ahead of the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.

“The series opener will get underway as scheduled at Boland Park on Sunday at 1000 hours.”

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