Concerns have been raised over the Indian tour in South Africa in the wake of the discovery of the Omicron variant. Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chairman Lawson Naidu responded …
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Concerns have been raised over the Indian tour in South Africa in the wake of the discovery of the Omicron variant. Cricket South Africa (CSA) chairman Lawson Naidu spoke to NDTV about this. Their board is in constant touch with the BCCI, citing travel restrictions in other countries as overreaction. Naidu praised the steps taken by the Indian government. He also mentioned the details of the Bio-Secure Environment Bubble as well as CSA’s Emergency Plan.
The BCCI president said the tour would continue despite the new Kovid variant. Are you in touch with BCCI?
We are in constant touch with the BCCI to keep abreast of the situation in South Africa.
Many countries have imposed restrictions on travel. What do you want to say to BCCI?
The WHO says countries have overreacted to the new variant of the Kovid-19 virus and imposed travel restrictions. In our view the Government of India has implemented appropriate measures to reduce the spread of the virus by travelers entering India.
Did the BCCI ask for any special requirements for this tour?
BCCI did not request any special requirements. The tour is always arranged based on strict Kovid-19 protocols.
Will the tour schedule remain the same or will it be limited to certain cities for the time being?
The first two Test matches will be played in Johannesburg, Centurion (players stay in the same hotel for these games). In addition to the third Test, all white ball games will be played in Cape Town, Parle.
The South African doctor who first identified the variant revealed that it was not as dangerous as the hype and that the chances of hospitalization were slim. Will that be a big deal?
Studies on the variant are ongoing. More will be known in the coming weeks. At present, however, the intensity of the strand seems to be lower than previous variants. Our scientists are leading the world in this regard.
What about the security and precautions taken by the South African Board to ensure the smooth running of the tour?
Safety of all players, match officials, team management is a priority for us.
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