England cricket series in South Africa canceled because of COVID19
Cape Town, Dec 7: England's ODI cricket series in South Africa was called off Monday after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the luxurious and supposedly bio-secure Cape Town hotel where both teams are staying.
Both squads have had members infected, while two workers at the hotel also contracted the disease.
The decision to cancel the series was taken by both the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa, the two federations said in a statement, and was made "to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams."
The ECB and CSA said they were effectively postponing the series until a suitable time could be found for England to travel back to South Africa to play the games.
The opening game of the series was scheduled for Friday at Newlands in Cape Town but was postponed to Sunday and moved to the nearby city of Paarl after a South African player tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of the game.
That first ODI was then canceled completely on Sunday after it was revealed that two hotel staff members had tested positive. That development forced the England contingent to undergo a new round of tests.
Two members of the England group then tested positive for COVID-19, although the ECB said it wanted the tests verified by an independent medical team before making a decision on the remainder of the tour.
Both the ECB and Cricket South Africa had said there was hope that the remaining two ODI games might be able to go ahead but that was ended with Monday's announcement.
"We have always maintained that the welfare of our players and management is paramount," ECB CEO Tom Harrison said.
"We were concerned about the potential impact that recent developments might have on the wellbeing of the touring party, and so after consultation with Cricket South Africa, we have jointly made the decision to postpone the remaining matches in this series in the best interest of the players' welfare."
England still hadn't received the results of the follow-up tests to confirm those two positives, team spokesman Danny Reuben said. The results were expected Tuesday at the earliest, he said.
The England party also didn't have a confirmed date to leave for home. The squad was scheduled to return home on a chartered plane on Thursday.
If the two members of England's touring party were confirmed as positive for COVID-19, they would likely have to remain in South Africa and self-isolate for 10 days, as has been the protocol for South African players who have tested positive during the tour.
None of the people to test positive on the tour have been named.
The premature end to the tour is highly embarrassing for South African cricket, which has failed to keep the "bio-bubble" in the Cape Town hotel secure. Three South African players have tested positive during the tour, which began in mid-November two of them after entering the supposedly secure environment.
"The decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us," CSA acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said.
South Africa's failed bio-bubble might also have repercussions for future series, with Sri Lanka due to arrive late this year for a two-test series and Australia and Pakistan due to tour South Africa early next year.
England's limited-overs tour was organized at short-notice to give both teams a chance to play some cricket after the coronavirus pandemic led to a string of series cancellations across the world.
The teams have already played a three-game Twenty20 series, which went ahead even after the first two South African players contracted COVID-19, and which England won 3-0.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Guv forwards Bill on 4 pc quota to Muslims in govt contracts to President's assent
Bengaluru, Apr 16 (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has reserved the Bill pertaining to four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contract for the President's assent, Raj Bhavan sources said on Wednesday.
According to sources, Gehlot marked the Bill as reserved for Presidential assent and sent it to the Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department. Now, the state government will send the file to the President to get his nod to the Bill that has created quite a stir in Karnataka.
In his letter to the state government, Gehlot said, "The Constitution of India does not permit reservation based on religion, as it violates the principles of equality (Article 14), non-discrimination (Article 15) and equal opportunity in public employment (Article16)."
"Supreme Court has consistently in various judgments ruled that affirmative action must be based on Social and Educational backwardness, not on religious identity," Gehlot said.
He also pointed out that the Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
"It is clear from Article 200 and 201 that a Bill passed by the State Assembly may become law if the Governor gives his assent to it or if having been reserved by the Governor for consideration of the President, it is assented to by the President," Gehlot said.
He emphasised that there is no provision in the Constitution, which lays down that a Bill which has been assented to by the President would be ineffective as an Act if there was no compelling necessity for the Governor to reserve it for the assent of the President.
It is for the Governor to exercise his discretion and to decide whether he should assent to the Bill or should reserve it for the consideration of the President to avoid any future complication, he noted.
Gehlot said, "In the light of the above, I hereby exercising the powers under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution of India, reserve The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 for the consideration and assent of the President of India."
The Governor cited a recent Supreme Court judgment of Saurabh Chaudri versus Union of India (2003), which emphasised that Articles 15 and 16 prohibit reservations on the basis of religion and any affirmative action must be rather based on the socio-economic factors.
The Bill was passed by both houses of Karnataka Legislature amid protests by the opposition BJP on the last day of the previous Legislative session on March 21.
The protesting BJP legislators climbed on Speaker U T Khader's podium, tore the Bill and threw it on him. For this unruly behaviour, 18 BJP MLAs were suspended for six months.
The BJP charged that the Bill was illegal as there is no provision in the Indian Constitution to give reservation based on religion. It also alleged that the Bill smacks of appeasement politics of the ruling Congress.
The party has made this Bill a key issue during its 'Janaakrosha Yatre' (Public anger march), which is going on across the state.
