BCCI AGM likely to discuss SA tour

Kolkata, Dec. 3: The fate of India’s upcoming tour of South Africa amid the trepidation triggered by new Covid-19 variant Omicron will be addressed when the BCCI holds its 90th Annual General Meeting here on Saturday to discuss a host of other issues as well.

In BCCI’s 24 point agenda, point (T) pertains to “Update on Future Tours Programme’ and under this provision the discussion can happen.

The emergence of Omicron, which is said to spread faster than the earlier Delta variant, in multiple countries including India has triggered widespread alarm all over the world.

The variant was detected and flagged to the world by South Africa and as things stand now, there have been multiple hospitalisations in the Gauteng province, where Johannesburg, the venue of the first Test beginning December 17, is located.

The next two Tests are scheduled in Centurion and Cape Town, followed by three ODIs and four T20 Internationals.

Team India are slated to leave for Johannesburg early on December 9 but as of now, there’s lack of clarity on whether the tour is on, shelved or curtailed.

Although the series is not part of the meeting’s official agenda, it can be brought up during the Future Tours Program discussion. During their last tour to England in September, India, could not field a side following a Covid outbreak inside the team bubble and the match had to be rescheduled to July 2022.

Team India are slated to leave for Johannesburg early on December 9 but as of now, there’s lack of clarity on whether the tour is on, shelved or curtailed.