Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa will outline plans today for the return of non-contact sport under lockdown level three.
Minister of Cooperative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma yesterday gave sports fans the ultimate teaser when she announced that “a professional non-contact sports match, which may only include players match officials, journalists and medical and television crew” will be allowed behind closed doors.
Mthethwa, though, will give more details today.
This move opens the door for Cricket South Africa to host a T20 series with India in August and possibly a series with the West Indies, which is scheduled to happen before then.
CSA said last week it would be able to host matches in what chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra described as a “bio
bubble”.
That is essentially a large environment, containing a hotel within walking distance of a ground where matches will be played and the players can train.
He said: “It would be a sanitised cricket biosphere, with strict entry standards, testing would be conducted before anyone enters in the bubble and there would be limited movement in and out of it.
“It requires regular testing and we will create a cordoned sanitaire, where people wouldn’t be allowed to leave or come in unless strict criteria are met.”
Similarly, the tennis and golf manne have also been making plannetjies.