Virus clean-bowls SA cricket

CSA on Monday followed the route of other major codes, calling off all cricket activity for the next 60 days due to COVID-19.  That means all first-class cricket, Momentum One-Cup, semi-professional and provincial cricket as well as all junior, schools and club cricket within the Eastern Province, Border and other regions has come to an immediate halt.

The Warriors were due to play the Lions in the Momentum One-Day Cup semifinals on Wednesday with the Knights set to face the Dolphins in Durban on Tuesday.

Those matches will now not take place and the domestic season has effectively concluded.

Cricket SA released a statement on Monday confirming the decision, saying following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation and the marathon meeting on Monday, “CSA has taken the decision to immediately terminate all forms of cricket in the country for the next 60 days”.

Acting CSA CEO Jacques Faul was quoted as saying: “We at CSA take this pronouncement by the president and the cabinet very seriously and we will most certainly use our leverage to ensure that we minimise the impact of the virus in our spaces.

“Consequently and during this time of absolute caution and surveillance, we would like to call upon all our members and affiliates to desist from taking part in any cricket-related gatherings and other transversal events that will include the congregation of large numbers of people and/or up to 100 people.”

EP Cricket and Cricket Eastern Cape GM Shafiek Abrahams said it was a sensible decision.

“From both Warriors and the amateur side you have got to respect the decision.

“And it’s probably the right one,” he said.

“We need to make sure everyone is safe and not exposed to the virus.

“From a cricketing perspective, yes, it was disappointing because the Warriors were looking on an upward curve, but there are more important things in life than cricket.”