- The Proteas' ODI series is in huge danger of cancellation after the coronavirus swept the England tour.
- The second ODI was called off after two members of England's touring party returned unconfirmed positive tests for Covid-19.
- Former England skipper Nasser Hussain says it would be an utter mess if those unconfirmed tests prove to be positive.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain says that it would be a "complete and utter mess" if members of the England touring party test positive for Covid-19.
This comes after Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called off the opening two ODIs between the Proteas and England.
Since the teams entered a specially created bio-bubble on 18 November, the coronavirus pandemic has swept throuh the limited-overs tour.
On Sunday, CSA and the ECB revealed that two members of the England touring party returned unconfirmed positive tests for Covid-19.
The second ODI, which was rescheduled for Monday at Newlands, was called off as they await the outcome of the "independent ratification of the two unconfirmed positive Covid-19 tests" from the England camp.
Hussain, who is in South Africa commentating for SuperSport and Sky Sports, said it would be "real mess" if any member of the England touring party tested positive for the coronavirus.
"It has got to be on those unconfirmed positives and you have to hope they are false positives," he wrote in a Sky Sports column on Sunday.
"If they are proven to be positive, it is a complete and utter mess because what do you do with those two England players or backroom staff?"
Hussain stated that those affected members of the England team would likely have to remain in South Africa for an additional few days after their team-mates returned home.
"They will need to stay out here for two weeks and you know when you're in a team, you are not going to turn around to your team-mate and say we are off home for Christmas, you have to stay out here so it becomes a real mess," said the former England captain.
"Fingers crossed they get retested and it is an anomaly, but the players will be increasingly concerned the bubble has been breached and counting down the days until Thursday and their flight home.
"England players will be thinking it's December 6, we then have to spend two weeks here if one of us get it and we're going to be late home for Christmas. Can we spread it to grandparents and other family members and things like that?"
England has dealt with bio-bubbles before as they recently completed a successful summer of cricket against West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia.
This was the Proteas' first experience of hosting and taking part as a team in a bio-secure environment.
"It's just amazing what the ECB did over the summer, the money that they threw at hand sanitisers and tests every single day. In England they made it as secure as you possibly could, they threw everything at those Test series and one-day series," continued Hussain.
"I'm not saying that hasn't done that here but bubbles do get breached, they are not 100 percent secure."