COVID-19: SA emerging women's team players tests negative, to fly out of Bangladesh on Tuesday
Apr 13, 2021
Dhaka [Bangladesh], April 13 : Five members of South Africa emerging women's team, who had tested positive for coronavirus, have returned a negative result and will fly back on Tuesday.
The members had tested positive for coronavirus in Sylhet before they departed for Dhaka on Monday.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the members of the touring party would have to be quarantined for 14 days in Dhaka if they hadn't returned a negative result on Tuesday.
"It is a great relief for all of us, not least of all the players, their colleagues and their families, that all our players and officials are now clear to return home," ESPNcricinfo quoted Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting chief executive Pholetsi Moseki saying in a statement.
"The health of our players and officials is always our primary concern and we are well aware of the sacrifices that everybody is making to continue playing cricket in these difficult times."
Meanwhile, the rest of the members who had tested negative for COVID-19 flew out of Dhaka earlier on Tuesday.
South Africa emerging women's tour of Bangladesh was cut short due to a strict lockdown set to be imposed in the host country from Wednesday.
The Proteas women had already locked horns in four games and the fifth match was to be played on Tuesday. The Bangladesh emerging team had taken an unassailable 4-0 lead in the series. However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday informed that the tour stands suspended due to the lockdown being imposed by the Bangladesh government.
According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the last match of the emerging teams series was cancelled due to impending flight restrictions.
"As agreed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), the fifth and final one day match of the Women's Emerging Teams series between South Africa and Bangladesh scheduled on 13 April in Sylhet has been cancelled," BCB said.
"The decision to cancel the last match was taken to accommodate the visiting side's return home before the suspension of international flight operations takes effect as part of the COVID-19 restrictions in Bangladesh," BCB added.
Last week, Pakistan U19's tour to Bangladesh was called off due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh which has caused the extension of a nationwide lockdown in the country.
