Johannesburg – Cricket South Africa (CSA) sent “sincerest condolences” to the England Cricket Board, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday night.
“Queen Elizabeth II was an iconic figure who always inspired hope and resilience,’ CSA said in a statement released on Friday morning. “The longest reigning monarch in British history was an avid sport enthusiast and an ardent cricket fan. She had occasion to meet with some of the Proteas players over the years.”
One of those meetings was at the last Cup held in England in 2019.
Friday’s play in the second Test between England and South Africa at The Oval was postponed as a mark of respect following the monarch’s death
The ECB along with other sport’s organisation’s was meeting with the British government on Friday morning, to determine whether sports events will take place this weekend.
Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday's play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place.
For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course. pic.twitter.com/hcQ6CBJ3Wx
— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) September 8, 2022
On Friday, the Daily Mail reported that English cricket could lose around £4million (about R80-million) if the Test match is called off. According to reports, “an assessment of the public mood as the nation enters a period of mourning will be their prime consideration,” in determining if the match is called off.
Should they be able to continue playing, the ECB hopes to start the match on Saturday, and will put in a request with the International Cricket Council, for the match to be played over four days.
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