ODI series between Proteas and the Netherlands postponed

The three-match ODI series between SA and the Netherlands has been postponed.

On Saturday afternoon Cricket SA (CSA) and the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB) mutually agreed to defer the series, which began on Friday with a match that was declared a no-result due to rain.

The decision comes as a result of mounting anxiety and concern on the side of the visiting team around travel bans and restrictions on flights from SA being imposed by several countries.

The countries that have imposed a travel ban on SA include the UK, where some of the Netherlands players are based, and the EU member states .

They have taken these steps after the announcement on Thursday by the SA department of health of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus that has been discovered in the country.

“We are disappointed by the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, but the comfort of all visiting teams must always be paramount,” said CSA acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki.

“The mental wellbeing of players is one of CSA’s top priorities, and we respect our visitors’ position and point of view.

“CSA and KNCB will get into discussions around possibly rescheduling the tour within this cycle of the ICC Future Tours Programme ending in 2023.”

Chair of the KNCB Jurgen Delfos added that they are saddened by the developments.

“We are saddened by these circumstances, but are grateful to Cricket SA for their assistance and understanding of our team’s position. It must be made clear that the concerns are strictly over travel issues and how soon the team can get home, and have nothing to do with the integrity of the biosecure environment (BSE) that CSA has successfully hosted.

“Our team has been pleased with every aspect of the organisation of the tour and have been well treated by our hosts. We have been looking forward to this series against the Proteas for some time and are keen on returning to SA in the near future.”

The Netherlands team will remain in the BSE hotel until their return flights have been finalised with the support of key CSA BSE staff.