South Africa v England: First ODI called off again after positive Covid tests
- Published
Paarl was due to host the rearranged series opener, with Cape Town staging the final two matches
The first match of England's one-day series in South Africa has again been called off because of positive coronavirus tests, this time from two members of hotel staff.
The game, due to be played on Friday, was postponed after an unnamed South Africa player tested positive.
The home squad was tested again on Friday and all returned negative results.
Sunday's match in Paarl was abandoned 30 minutes before the 08:00 GMT start.
The England squad were tested on Saturday after the positive tests of the hotel staff, and the ODI was initially delayed as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it is awaiting "ratification" of those results.
The cancellation was confirmed shortly after, and it was later revealed that two members of the England party had returned "unconfirmed positive tests".
It is unclear whether the games due to be played on Monday and Wednesday will take place. England are scheduled to fly home on Thursday.
The series is being played in a bio-secure 'bubble', with players only leaving their Cape Town hotel to play and train.
Before the Twenty20 series last month - which England won 3-0 - two South Africa players tested positive for coronavirus and two others were placed in isolation.
This series is England's first overseas tour since their trip to Sri Lanka was abandoned in March following the outbreak of the pandemic.
After a delayed start to the home summer, the men's team fulfilled all their planned matches, playing matches in a bio-secure environment and without fans in grounds.
Fast bowler Jofra Archer was forced to miss the second Test against West Indies after returning home between Tests, but no fixtures were affected.
'It would be a miracle if series is completed' - analysis
Cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew
It's a shambles.
Both teams are staying in the same hotel in South Africa - they are segregated supposedly so I don't know how much contact the England players will have had with these two individuals. It just demonstrates that there has been a breakdown in the bio-secure bubble.
The England players weren't happy about the security anyway, and they were upset there were breaches during the Twenty20 series.
It would be a miracle if England were to continue. I suspect those games won't go ahead.
It's a pandemic, and everyone knows the virus won't just go away so we can play cricket.
It's not easy to stage these things. It only takes a little breakdown and it can sweep down - and that's what England are desperate to avoid.
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