Over 50s Cricket World Cup in SA cancelled with immediate effect

The Over 50s Cricket World Cup in and around Cape Town has been cancelled with immediate effect because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the organisers said on Sunday.

“The organising committee took the decision during the course of the third round of matches which were then abandoned after the first innings,” the committee said in a statement.

“It is a public health risk decision,” tournament medical committee head Dr Parag Pandya said in the statement. “The decision was taken for the protection of the players, given their age demographic, but also for the local population, given that 95 per cent of known cases in South African have come from travellers.”

Seven of the 11 visiting teams had been staying in the same Cape Town hotel where appropriate precautions had been taken, and they would remain there until arrangements could be made for their repatriation.

“The decision was taken by the organising and medical committees, but it is fully endorsed by the sponsors,” Evergreen Lifestyle spokesman Arthur Case said in the statement.

“There was a great desire to continue, but, in the end, it became apparent that cancellation was the right thing to do,” he said.

Teams participating were from Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Canada, England, South Africa, Pakistan, India, Wales, and Namibia.

In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo