South Africa, England ODI series to go ahead

The series will start in Paarl on Sunday after the South African squad returned a full set of negative coronavirus results.

Eoin Morgan is interviewed after the second T20 International between South Africa and England at Boland Park, on November 29. Boland Park will be the venue for the first ODI. - GETTY IMAGES

The One-Day International series between South Africa and England will start in Paarl on Sunday after the host’s squad returned a full set of negative results in its latest round of coronavirus testing, officials have confirmed.

The series due to start on Friday had been thrown into doubt after a South African player tested positive in the team’s bio-secure hotel environment during mandatory testing on Thursday, with the first match at Newlands postponed an hour before its start.

England expressed concern over the strength of the bio-secure environment after the positive result, while a South African team investigation has not yet shown how the unnamed player caught the virus.

“The entire Proteas team has returned negative results from the COVID-19 tests that were conducted yesterday evening in Cape Town ahead of the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.

“The series opener will get underway as scheduled at Boland Park on Sunday at 1000 hours.”