Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

England’s tour of South Africa looks set to tend the go-ahead after an agreement was reached allowing the squad to coach during their quarantine period.
ESPNcricinfo understands the South Africa government has agreed to waiver the traditional requirements for visitors from counties deemed ‘high risk’ in terms of Covid-19 infection. A formal confirmation of the tour is predicted imminently.

As a result, the ECB is expected to charter a flight to Cape Town which can arrive on November 17, before the primary international match about 10 days later. The squad will occupy the Vineyard Hotel and train, initially a minimum of, at the Western Province Cricket Club ground where they’re going to play inter-squad warm-up games. South Africa will later join them at an equivalent hotel.

Had the South Africa government refused to permit a dispensation, the touring party would are obliged to quarantine in their hotel rooms for a minimum of every week at the start of the tour. there could have been a decline fro the side of ECB if such circumstances were to be favoured.

The squad will still be obliged to quarantine, but they’re going to be allowed to coach and use certain parts of the hotel during that period.
The tour will hold 3 T20s and 3 ODIs. All the matches, to be split between Newlands (in Cape Town) and Boland Park (in Paarl) are going to be played behind closed doors.

It will be the primary action for South Africa men’s national team since they returned home from India in March when the pandemic hit. In that time, they need to be had series in Sri Lanka and West Indies postponed and are unable to host India for 3 T20Is. While the value of hosting an outsized England touring party consisting of quite 40 people are going to be significant, the tour could prove vital for a board desperate for income.

Addressing the tour prospects during an opportunity to Shine charity event, Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, acknowledged the importance of keeping international cricket afloat during this era of uncertainty. He further spoke and made it very clear that he is ready for the upcoming challenge.

Morgan believes that it will an enormous responsibility not just to carry out the fixtures but facilitate the other teams as well. He conveyed that they will do everything possible to bring back normalcy to cricket. If the tour goes ahead, we’d like to come down, because the series we played last time was incredible.”

During the tour of South Africa, it was England who won the T20 leg whereas the ODIs were tied up 1-1.

“If the boys do come over I’m sure it’ll be a good series once again,” he said during the Chance to Shine event. It was unbelievable cricket from both the sides and they look to return and compete with each other. We are hoping it will go on, but with the pandemic, who knows?”

Meanwhile, talks are continuing a few short tours to Pakistan in mid-January. While the ECB is clearly keen to form the tour happen, there’s an acceptance the squad could be something of a B or maybe C team. With England already committed to a two-Test series in Sri Lanka at an equivalent time, and a few players committed to T20 franchise cricket – the ECB won’t insist anyone takes part on the tour – the series could prove a chance for fringe players.

As things stand, the BCCI remains insistent their tour against England is going to be staged in India. While the BCCI recently signed an MoU creating closer ties with the Emirates Cricket Board, they’re currently resisting suggestions that England’s tour is going to be staged within the UAE. Instead, they’re watching options which include hosting all the Tests in Mumbai and cutting the number of matches scheduled.

Whether this is often a viable plan or an effort to shift public expectation before subsequent IPL season, which is scheduled to urge underway in March, remains unclear. At this stage, it seems that, when the schedule for England’s tour is published, it’s going to well feature venues in India. But, thereupon MoU acting as a security net, it remains probable the games are going to be played within the UAE.

By Salem Bin Amer

Engineer, Badminton player, Fitness enthusiast and a full-time Content writer.