Team India is currently sweating it out in South Africa, ahead of the much-awaited 3-match Test series between India vs South Africa. However, ahead of the series, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has given assurances to the BCCI by allowing them to leave the country, even if the borders have been closed due to a possible COVID-19 scenario.
India’s tour of South Africa is to begin on 26 December. During this, Team India has to play a series of three Tests and as many ODIs.
On Monday, the CSA announced that the upcoming series between both countries will be played behind closed doors as the potent contagious nature of the deadly Omicron variant has led to a fourth wave of the virus in South Africa. In the last few days, there has been a sudden rise in the number of cases over the last few days. Dr. Shuaib Manjra, CSA’s chief medical officer said to News 24:
“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.”
He added:
“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.”
ANNOUNCEMENT?
Tickets for the upcoming #SAvIND tour will not be made available after both cricket bodies took a joint decision to protect the players and the tour ?
The matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport and SABC ?
Full details
https://t.co/iTa8p4hRQf pic.twitter.com/VFBf2HYyNo
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) December 20, 2021
Cricket South Africa has also taken many more important steps to make India’s tour of South Africa a success. Dr. Manjra revealed the preparations done by the CSA to make this tour a success. He revealed:
“We are regularly in touch with CSA officials & the Indian team management in South-Africa. Team is having very comfortable stay. As now the series is behind closed doors – any threat further gets diminished. CSA also has assured in case of anything untoward, Indian team will be immediately given permissions to fly out.”
“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,”
India’s Test squad:
Virat Kohli (capt), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav Ishant Sharma, Mr. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Siraj, Priyank Panchal.
Standby players: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arjan Nagwaswala.
