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.
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.
Maharashtra government reduces Ladki Bahin Yojana stipend for 8 lakh beneficiaries: Report
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has reportedly cut down on the stipend received by eight lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Under the revised structure, the beneficiaries will receive Rs 500 instead of Rs 1,500 per month because they already receive Rs 1,000 under another government scheme, the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi (NSMN), as reported by the Times of India.
The Ladki Bahin scheme has the stipulation that its beneficiaries can avail other government schemes only if the benefit is capped at Rs. 1,500 per month.
“There has been an ongoing scrutiny. First to scan the applications that were sent by the districts to the state headquarters. And then to re-scrutinise the eligible cases,” TOI report quoted an official as saying.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said he expected the number of beneficiaries to reduce by 10-15 lakh after the scrutiny process. "We are not changing criteria or funding, just ensuring only eligible ones get the stipend," he claimed.
The Opposition remarked that the state government is cheating the women who voted them to power.
The Mahayuti government had launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in July 2024, where it provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women under the scheme. In its poll manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections, the Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100. However, this commitment has not been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s debt projection is Rs 9.3 lakh crore for 2025-26. The outlay for the Ladki Bahin scheme was reduced from Rs 46,000 crore to Rs 36,000 crore in the 2025-26 budget.
_vb_71.jpeg)