COVID-19: India-returned South Africa players test negative

The Proteas, who returned from India on March 18, completed a 14-day period of self-isolation on Thursday, but will remain in lockdown for the next two weeks.

Published : Apr 03, 2020 12:50 IST , Johannesburg

South Africa's interim Team Director and coach Enoch Nkwe and skipper Quinton de Kock during a training session at HPCA stadium in Dharamshala.
South Africa's interim Team Director and coach Enoch Nkwe and skipper Quinton de Kock during a training session at HPCA stadium in Dharamshala.
lightbox-info

South Africa's interim Team Director and coach Enoch Nkwe and skipper Quinton de Kock during a training session at HPCA stadium in Dharamshala.

All the South African players, who returned from their incomplete ODI tour of India, were found to be symptom-free of coronavirus and those who underwent tests returned negative, according to the team’s chief medical officer Dr. Shuaib Manjra.

The Proteas, who returned from India on March 18, completed a 14-day period of self-isolation on Thursday, but will remain in lockdown for the next two weeks just like the rest of the country.

“All the players were symptom-free and those who opted to perform the tests returned negative results,” Manjra was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo .

The first match in Dharamsala on March 12 was washed out while the second and third games to be played in Lucknow and Kolkata - on March 15 and 18 respectively - were called off indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

South Africa is in the midst of a 21-day nationwide lockdown, which prohibits leaving home except to buy food or medicine and does not allow for any outdoor exercise.

CSA’s focus now is on maintaining the players’ fitness and trainer Tumi Masekela has sent all the players their training programmes.

“We’ve got time now to work with players in terms of addressing the small niggles that they may have. They have got time to rest and also to do the strength work,” he said.

“But the one big thing is the running volume, the aerobic capacity base, which I am going to try and build up in the next two weeks, so that means lot of running, or a lot of cardio work, cycling or swimming.”

The South African team doesn’t have any international match lined up until June.

South Africa has more than 1,400 COVID-19 infected people with five deaths.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment