The Netherlands tour of South Africa has been put in jeopardy with a fresh COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa. The three-match ODI series was set to conclude on December 1 but with the United Kingdom imposing a travel ban on South Africa from Friday, November 26 afternoon, things look a little troubling.
Several Netherlands’ players reside in the UK owing to their contracts with English county cricket sides and if they are not able to enter the country before 4 AM on Sunday, 28 November, they will have to go through a mandatory quarantine period of ten days. The quarantine will have to be paid out of their own pockets.
With South Africa being under a temporary travel ban, the fear is that Netherlands’ players will be stranded in the country for an unknown amount of time.
The first match of the series has already started and at the time of writing South Africa were batting at 43/2 after 10 overs. The match also sees the international return for Wayne Parnell, who had left South Africa on a Kolpak deal to play for Worcestershire. He becomes the first player to have been called back after a Kolpak deal.