Reports | India tour of South Africa likely to be pushed by a week amid concerns over Omicron

Team India are scheduled to tour South Africa for three Tests, as many ODIs, and four T20I fixtures, and the tour will begin with the red-ball series, which is scheduled to start from December 17. Initially, it was decided that the Indian cricket team will leave for South Africa on December 8 or 9, after the conclusion of the second Test match against New Zealand in Mumbai. Notably, the India squad for the South Africa tour has not been announced yet.

According to a report in India Today, BCCI have asked Cricket South Africa (CSA) to consider the possibility of pushing back the series between India and the Proteas by a week. The delay will seek more time for both boards to discuss the threat of a new Covid variant named Omicron. It is also reported that the team is likely to depart on December 15 or 16. South Africa has already promised a fully bio-secure environment to India.

The BCCI and CSA want the series to go on as per the schedule and continuous talks are going on between the cricket boards of both countries. BCCI wants to wait and keep a tab on the situation in South Africa regarding the Omicron variant. The report also suggests that BCCI will discuss the issue in its annual general meeting and the board might arrive upon a decision on Sunday.

BCCI is also worried that if players are asked to undergo a strict quarantine after returning from South Africa a packed home schedule will be affected by it. 

Earlier, the Netherlands tour of South Africa was postponed after the rising concerns over the new Coronavirus variant in the country. However, the BCCI did not cancel the tour of India A, who are currently playing three 4-day unofficial Test matches against South Africa A in Bloemfontein.