Ken Borland

England’s two positive Covid-19 tests were confirmed on Tuesday as being two false positives, vindicating Cricket South Africa’s bio-secure protocols for their cancelled ODI series, although chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra did say there will always be some risk involved in the bubble, unless there’s a vacancy for two cricket teams and their staff in some infectious diseases laboratory.

The chief medical officer of the England team, Professor Nick Peirce, issued a statement on Tuesday saying: “Following the independent ratification of the two unconfirmed positive Covid-19 tests from the England camp in South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that, following further testing and analysis, in the opinion of the independent virologists based in Cape Town and London, the two individuals are not infected, and do not pose any risk of passing on the infection to the rest of the party.”

Manjra told The Citizen on Tuesday that he was relieved by the news.

“I always suspected that they were not true positives and I am glad that England have now confirmed that, it provides some comfort and some vindication. We can’t run away from the fact though that we had three positive tests in the bubble, but that is not that unusual – the English Premier League and the IPL are both in bubbles and they have had positives.

“It is unrealistic to expect there to be zero risk. This new normal is about how we deal with positive tests and how we prevent other people getting infected; that’s what risk management is about and I think we did a reasonable job. The only really bio-safe place you’re going to find is an infectious diseases lab. I think England are victims of their own success in running their bubble and their expectations are unsustainable,” Manjra said.

While those cricket-lovers of a religious persuasion will be praying that Sri Lanka don’t get scared off from touring by the events of the last few days, Manjra said their bubble would be more secure because England had insisted on relaxations in certain areas, such as allowing their squad to play golf in Paarl.

“England’s major issue was the mental health of their players in a confined space so they insisted on some opportunities to chill, for social interaction and to play golf. So our bubble was not as draconian as it was in England and they were willing to take that risk to go and play golf. I would say The Vineyard Hotel was actually the safest place in South Africa, they were fantastic.

“Sri Lanka have expressed their concern but I would give them an assurance that we will create a bio-safe environment, we will improve on the model of the England tour because it will be a bit more stringent. Both teams will be staying at the same hotel again, with all staff living on the same site. But the Irene Country Club has wonderful recreational facilities with a golf course and a big dam on site,” Manjra said.

South Africa’s ODI series against world champions England was officially called off on Monday afternoon, a victim of a sudden rash of Covid-19 cases at the supposedly bio-secure hotel the two teams have been staying at – The Vineyard in Cape Town.

The cancellation of the three-match series will result in a shortfall of around $2 million [R30.3 million] in broadcast revenue for a cash-strapped Cricket South Africa. The series is a part of the ICC Super League, a new qualification system for the 2023 World Cup, so both boards termed Monday’s decisions a “postponement” rather than a total cancellation.

But with England much in demand – they are due to tour Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia and the West Indies next year, on top of the T20 World Cup in India – it is difficult to see where the series can be fitted into the schedule.

And a dearth of top-class cricket action could possibly get worse. Sri Lanka, who have had relatively few Covid cases on their island, are due to play the Boxing Day and New Years Tests in South Africa. They are due to be accommodated in a bio-bubble in Gauteng, but the failure of the same system in Cape Town will certainly give them a pause for thought.

Pakistan and Australia are scheduled to tour early next year, and they will also be casting a worried eye towards the southern tip of Africa.

The Western Cape has seen a recent spike in Covid-19 cases and areas of the province have been declared hotspots.

While the three-match T20 series between South Africa and England went off smoothly, the problems started on the morning of the first ODI last Friday when a Proteas player tested positive for Covid, despite having been in the bio-secure bubble.

After the rest of the South African squad were re-tested and were all negative for the virus, the match was rescheduled for Sunday morning.

But on Saturday night two members of The Vineyard staff tested positive, causing great alarm in the England squad. The tourists were all tested again on Saturday night and then Sunday’s game was called off less than an hour before the start when two members of the England squad returned positive tests.

Allegations from Newlands management that England had broken protocol by using the practice nets next to the construction site at the ground were countered on Monday by an England Cricket statement that the practice facilities provided on the main field were sub-standard and unacceptable, forcing them to use the other nets. But not before they had advised CSA of the problem and had set up a security cordon to ensure the safety of their players and coaching staff.

Just who messed up the bio-secure bubble for the Proteas and England teams at The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town has become the subject of some dispute between Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The ODI series between South Africa and England is in grave danger of not being played at all after two English players tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend, following positive tests for two Vineyard staff members. The touring squad were all re-tested after the first ODI, due to be played on Friday, had to be postponed due to a positive test in the Proteas camp.

It was rescheduled for Sunday, but that match, as well as a game at Newlands on Monday, was also called off after England’s positive tests. Those results are now being scrutinised by independent medical experts, and if the positive outcome is confirmed, then the series will almost certainly be cancelled. The results are expected to be known on Monday evening.

This would cost cash-strapped CSA millions of Rands, but several England players have lucrative Big Bash contracts in Australia to fulfil and the others just want to get home for Christmas, so having to spend time in isolation is something they are desperately trying to avoid.

And the ECB on Monday countered an allegation made by Newlands stadium manager Clifford Dodgen that they had broken protocol at the ground on Thursday.

In an e-mail sent to representatives of the ECB, CSA, the Claremont South African Police Services station commander and the visible policing commander, and seen by The Citizen, Dodgen reveals a breach by the England team.

“Please be advised that the England cricket team has not adhered to the arrangements as agreed by all in the ESSPC [Event Safety and Security Planning Committee] meetings. The practice nets next to the construction site is not allowed to be used on practice days. Three cages of nets was set up on the square on the field.

“This serves to inform you that the England cricket team has accessed and used the nets today (3 December) at their own risk. Western Province Cricket Association and the ESSPC will not be held liable or responsible for the safety and health of the England cricket team,” Dodgen wrote.

But an England Cricket spokesperson told The Citizen on Monday: “On arrival at Newlands on 3 December, we advised the venue that the three nets provided on the main pitch were not of a standard for conducive practice, as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the respective boards. Batsmen were unable to face seam bowlers on the nets on the main pitch as the surfaces were rendered and unacceptable.

“We requested with CSA that we would like to use the practice nets and that we would create a security cordon to ensure the players and coaches could enter the facility safely, as done previously on 28 November. This was confirmed by England’s Security Team, the Team Operations Manager and the Team Doctor. We were satisfied with this outcome and we were able to practice in the net facility safely.

“As far as the England touring party are concerned, the safety and health of our players and coaches was not compromised.”

The nets in question are the ones usually used by teams playing at Newlands, but the area now sees foot traffic from workers on the construction site.

Members of both teams have also been exposed to people outside of the bubble by being allowed to play golf at Boschenmeer in Paarl.

The ODI series between South Africa and England is set to be cancelled later today after the first ODI in Paarl was called off shortly before the toss due to the two positive Covid tests returned by the English touring party.

The first ODI was originally meant to be played on Friday, but it was postponed at short notice after a Proteas player (believed to be Heinrich Klaasen, who missed the third T20 because he was “sick”) tested positive.

Sunday’s match looked good to go when the rest of the Proteas squad all returned negative tests on Saturday, but then two members of The Vineyard hotel staff tested positive that evening. The England squad, already perturbed over the positive test in the Proteas camp, all went for testing that night as well, and on Sunday it was confirmed two of them were positive for the virus.

The future of the series, which comprises two more matches at Newlands on Monday and Wednesday, now depends on those two positive results in the England touring party being ratified by independent medical experts. The chances of the original results being wrong would appear to be slim and with the England players not wanting any form of forced isolation to jeopardise their departure date from South Africa on Thursday, it is likely they will call off the series. Some of the players have lucrative Big Bash contracts in Australia to fulfil, while others just want to get home for Christmas.

It would appear there must have been some sort of breach to the bio-secure bubble both squads are in at The Vineyard in Cape Town, leading to plenty of questions as to how this could have happened but pretty much only vacant stares in response.

“At this stage, it is not clear how the staff members became infected as neither have left the bio-secure area since November 16 and they do not work on the same team or in the same area. Our Covid response team is endeavouring to establish all the facts and contact tracing is underway. We have placed all our resources and efforts into investigating and resolving the situation,” Roy Davies, the general manager of The Vineyard, said in a statement.

Cricket South Africa’s chief medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra, was equally mystified.

“There has been some kind of breach and we have gone into great detail in our investigations. We have spoken to the player and looked at the footage from security cameras, but come up with nothing yet. Ninety-nine percent of this environment works, but there may be an unknown breach.

“But I can categorically say that no player has been able to leave the bio-bubble, security would not allow it, nobody can leave unless they’re in an official vehicle with an official driver. The command centre is led by the colonel of the Claremont police station and he would not allow anyone to leave. Even the guys going across the road to train at the Oval where a concern for him,” Manjra said.