Hope India’s tour of SA goes ahead: Farhan Behardien
Johannesburg, Nov 27 (PTI): Former South Africa batting all-rounder Farhan Behardien is hoping that the new COVID-19 variant, which is causing alarm here, will not jeopardise India’s tour of the country next month as young cricketers of his nation need the series “more than ever”.
The Indian team, during the nearly seven-week assignment starting December 17, is scheduled to play three Tests, three ODIs and four T20 Internationals across four venues — Johannesburg, Centurion, Paarl, and Cape Town.
But the new COVID variant has put the tour in limbo with the BCCI insisting that any decision on the fate of the series will be taken based on the government’s advice. “I hope the biggest cricket nation in the world tours our country next month!! The future generation of South African players need it more than ever!!” Behardien tweeted.
As of now, India’s tour is on but it is understood that the BCCI, in the next few days, will be talking to Cricket South Africa on the detection of the new variant — B.1.1.529 –, which has caused considerable panic across the globe.
The World Health Organisation named it Omicron on Friday.
Cases are on the rise in the northern part of the country and at least two venues for the Test series — Johannesburg and Pretoria (near Centurion) — could become vulnerable to the spread of the Omicron variant.
