Two new COVID-19 cases in South Africa Squad; dropped ahead of Sri Lanka Test series

Ahead of their two-match short Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa has confirmed two COVID-19 cases in its lot in the latest turn of events. South Africa has confirmed two unnamed players who have tested positive for the virus, and they have been dropped from the squad that would face Lanka. Cricket South Africa came up with the news on Friday, just a day before entering a bio-bubble on the Highveld.

The squad will gather once again for their second round of Testing in Centurion on Saturday. After the second round of Testing, the squad will be all set to prepare for their opening Test commencing on December 26. The infected players will not be part of the playing squad and have been isolated with immediate effect. The unnamed players will continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols in the meantime.

“The players will no longer form part of the Test team and will observe the Covid-19 protocols, including isolating with immediate effect. CSA can also confirm that no other players in the currently named squad were deemed close contacts after contact tracing procedures were conducted,” stated an official statement from Cricket South Africa.

South Africa’s ODI series against England also got cancelled recently

Talking about developments in the Proteas squad, three players have been called up by South Africa which includes, top-order batsman Raynard van Tonder and pacer Lutho Sipamla for the first time. The other all-rounder Dwaine Pretorious has just recovered from a hamstring injury. The spearhead of their pace attack Kagiso Rabada has yet not been medically cleared to mark his presence in the Test squad.

Sri Lanka is all set to touch the South African soil and will then move back to their land to host England for the red ball series. The brief Test series against Proteas will kick off on December 26 in Centurion. The action will move to Johannesburg for staging the second and final Test. In the recent turn of developments, South Africa’s ODI series against England also got called off due to COVID-19 cases in the home squad.