S Africa-England ODI delayed again after more COVID-19 cases
Cape Town: The first one-day international between South Africa and England has been delayed again after more COVID-19 cases were identified at the teams' hotel in Cape Town, this time among hotel staff members.
Cricket South Africa and the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a joint statement that Sunday's game in the nearby city of Paarl was being delayed while England players and management wait for results of a new round of COVID-19 tests.
They didn't say how long the delay might be.
The first of three ODIs had already been postponed from Friday after a South African player tested positive for the virus on the eve of the game, the third home player to test positive during England's tour. That test caused concern among both squads because the player seemingly contracted COVID-19 while in the secure bio-bubble at the Cape Town hotel where both teams are staying.
South Africa's team doctor said there was an investigation underway to try and track how that South African player was infected.
The delay to Sunday's game came after two hotel staff members tested positive, causing the England party to undergo a round of additional tests on Saturday night, the ECB said. The results were yet to be received but any more positives among players might cause the remainder of the tour to be called off.
South Africa's squad had to undergo additional tests after the latest player positive that caused the first postponement. All the remaining South African players returned negative tests on Saturday, Cricket South Africa said.
Of the three South African players who have tested positive for the virus during England's tour, which began in mid-November, two of them tested positive while in the secure environment. One before the three-game Twenty20 series and the latest last week before the ODIs. The first player returned a positive test before both teams went into a 10-day quarantine period at the Cape Town hotel they are sharing ahead of the games.
England's six-game limited-overs tour was organized at short notice to fill gaps in both teams' schedules created by the virus pandemic but it also comes while South Africa is seeing signs of a second surge of the virus.
All six games are being played in Cape Town and nearby Paarl to limit travel for players and officials. But the Western Cape province, where they are playing, is one of the regions in South Africa that's seeing a worrying increase in virus cases.
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Complaint filed against Tripura minister over 'fake' edu certificates, 'concealing' of criminal case
Agartala (PTI): A Congress leader in Tripura lodged a complaint with a police station in Unakoti district, alleging that state minister Tinku Roy's educational certificates, declared during the filing of affidavits in the last two assembly elections, were "fake", a lawyer said on Wednesday.
The minister was also accused of concealing a criminal case pending against him while submitting his nomination during the state polls, he said.
Responding to the complaint, the minister said this was a "political issue".
Senior Congress leader Chandrashekar Sinha lodged the complaint at Kailashashar Police Station on Tuesday, his lawyer Narsingha Das said at a press conference held at the district Congress headquarters.
The complainant alleged that state minister and Chandipur MLA Tinku Roy had declared that he passed class XII in 2004 from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
"The educational certificates Roy submitted are alleged to be forged, and the board itself reportedly does not exist. In a case investigated by the CBI, the board was also identified as fake," the Congress leader claimed in the complaint.
Roy had contested the 2018 assembly elections as a BJP candidate from the Kadamtala assembly constituency of North Tripura, and was also in the fray five years later from the Chandipur seat, he claimed.
Additionally, in the nomination affidavit, the minister had stated that no criminal cases were pending against him, the complainant said.
"But, there is a criminal case registered against him at West Agartala police station. Submitting forged educational documents and concealing information of criminal cases is a serious offence", the Congress leader's counsel said.
Congress legislator party leader Birajit Sinha and Unakoti district president Badruzaman remained present in the press conference.
Kailashahar Police Station officer-in-charge Tapas Malakar said, "The police have received a complaint against Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy. As per BNS, we will first conduct an inquiry into the complaint. If it is found to be true, we will lodge an FIR against the minister", he said.
Responding to the complaint, the minister said, "This was a political issue. Ask for details from those who have lodged the complaint."
