The
four
T20Is
which
were
also
originally
part
of
the
tour
will
now
be
played
on
a
later
date.
But
the
departure
of
Indian
cricket
team
from
Mumbai
will
be
delayed
by
a
week
and
the
first
Test
now
stands
to
start
from
December
26.
“India’s
tour
of
South
Africa,
2021-22,
will
proceed
with
the
revised
dates
and
itinerary.
The
team
will
participate
in
a
three-match
Test
series
followed
by
a
three-match
ODI
series
starting
December
26,”
stated
BCCI
secretary
Jay
Shah.
The
future
of
the
tour
was
thrown
into
doubt
after
South
Africa
recorded
high
number
of
cases
of
Omicron
variant
of
the
Covid-19
in
the
recent
fortnight.
The
emergence
of
Omicron,
which
is
said
to
spread
faster
than
the
earlier
Delta
variant,
in
multiple
countries
including
India
has
triggered
widespread
alarm
all
over
the
world.
India
are
engaging
travel
ban
and
high
alert
situation
in
the
wake
of
the
new
virus
variant.
The
variant
was
detected
and
flagged
to
the
world
by
South
Africa
and
as
things
stand
now,
there
have
been
multiple
hospitalisations
in
the
Gauteng
province,
where
Johannesburg,
the
venue
of
the
first
two
Tests
beginning
December
17,
is
located.
Team
India
are
slated
to
leave
for
Johannesburg
early
on
December
9
but
as
of
now,
there’s
lack
of
clarity
on
whether
the
tour
is
on,
shelved
or
curtailed.
Although
the
series
is
not
part
of
the
BCCI
AGM’s
official
agenda,
it
was
brought
up
during
the
Future
Tours
Program
discussion.
During
their
last
tour
to
England
in
September,
India,
leading
2-1
going
into
the
final
Test
in
Old
Trafford,
could
not
field
a
side
following
a
COVID
outbreak
inside
the
team
bubble
and
the
match
had
to
be
rescheduled
to
July
2022.
Taking
that
into
account,
the
Board
members
would
certainly
deliberate
long
on
the
issue
which
has
now
emerged
as
the
priority
with
less
than
a
week
left
for
the
team’s
departure.
At
present,
the
India
A
team
is
in
South
Africa
and
the
Board
is
still
continuing
with
that
assignment.
Skipper
Virat
Kohli,
who
is
due
for
his
milestone
100th
Test
in
Cape
Town,
sought
further
clarity
on
the
tour
on
the
eve
of
the
second
and
final
Test
against
New
Zealand
in
Mumbai
on
Thursday.
“…you
want
to
have
clarity
and
you
want
to
be
in
a
situation
where
you
know
exactly
what
is
going
on.
We
have
to
be
realistic
as
well.
“We
cannot
just
ignore
the
things
that
potentially
could
put
you
in
a
confusing
place.
And
no
one
wants
to
be
there,”
he
had
said.
“We
have
been
talking
to
the
Board,
and
we
are
pretty
confident
that
within
a
day
or
two
or
pretty
soon
we
will
have
absolute
clarity
as
to
what
is
going
on,”
Kohli
said
