India tour of South Africa: Men in Blue’s tour could be pushed back by a week due to Omicron

“We
are
discussing
to
push
back
the
series
by
a
week
due
to
the
threat
of
Omicron
COVID
variant
and
we
are
awaiting
the
Indian
government
nod,
both
boards
are
in
constant
touch
and
everything
is
being
discussed.
The
health
and
safety
of
our
players
is
of
utmost
importance,”
the
senior
official
told
ANI.

India
is
slated
to
tour
South
Africa
next
month
for
three
Tests,
three
ODIs
and
four
T20Is.
The
tour
is
slated
to
begin
on
December
17.

Earlier,
Anurag
Thakur,
the
Union
Minister
for
Youth
Affairs
and
Sports
had
said
that
BCCI
should
consult
the
government
before
sending
the
cricket
team
to
South
Africa
where
a
new
COVID-19
variant
has
emerged.

“Not
only
BCCI,
but
every
board
should
also
consult
the
Indian
government
before
sending
the
team
to
a
country
where
a
new
COVID-19
variant
has
emerged.
It
is
not
right
to
send
the
team
to
a
country
where
there
is
a
threat,
if
BCCI
consults
us
we
will
deliberate
on
that,”
Thakur
had
said.

The
World
Health
Organisation
(WHO)
named
the
new
COVID-19
variant
B.1.1.529,
which
has
been
detected
in
South
Africa,
as
‘Omicron’.
This
came
after
the
WHO
held
a
meeting
to
discuss
the
newly-identified
COVID-19
variant.

Meanwhile,
India
A
players
are
currently
in
Bloemfontein
for
the
ongoing
series
against
South
Africa
A.