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Cricket Australia are monitoring the COVID-19 situation in South Africa as England's white-ball tour there remains in significant danger of being abandoned.
Cricket Australia are keeping watch on the COVID-19 situation in South Africa as England's tour of the country rests on a knife's edge.
The first ODI between England and South Africa was postponed and then cancelled on Sunday, while the second match has also been pushed back.
Three members of South Africa's group have contracted the virus since mid-November, while a further two members of the England party have returned positive tests in recent days.
Two staff members at the teams' hotel have also tested positive, with not every person working in the accommodation Hub staying in the hotel.
Australia are due to tour South Africa in February and March for a three-Test series, with the hosts even outlining hopes to have crowds through the gates last month.
The Australian tour will follow a scheduled visit from Sri Lanka to South Africa, which has had an average of around 3,600 new cases per day over the past week.
"The tour of South Africa is part of the World Test Championship and the Futures Tour Program," a Cricket Australia spokesman said.
"We will continue to plan for the tour and monitor the biosecurity situation."
The series in South Africa will be one of the most anticipated of 2021, after the drama that engulfed the last Test tour there - culminating in the ball-tampering scandal.
Front of mind in CA's approach is that the tour remains three months away, and a lot can change quickly in the current environment.
But the past fortnight has shown international cricket remains on shaky ground during the pandemic.
England are awaiting independent tests confirm the positive results, but face the prospect of close contacts of the infected players forced to quarantine for 10 days.
If that was the case, there is every chance the ODI series will be abandoned.
Meanwhile Pakistan have had six players test positive to the virus while in quarantine in New Zealand for their T20 and Test series.
At this stage India's tour of Australia has begun without a blemish, but only after months of talks between both boards, Cricket Australia and government authorities.
CA estimate that has cost them around $30 million in extra costs, for everything from chartered flights from Dubai and quarantined hotels.
Senior batsman Matt Wade said on Monday the South African tour was not something players had spoken about.
"To be honest I haven't really thought about it and I'm not sure any of the other players have thought about it," Wade said.
"I saw the match was postponed, that's about as far as I've gone into it.
"I'm sure Cricket Australia and South Africa's board will work together and get the right solution.
"But as players, we'll just crack into this series and when that rolls around we'll see where it lands. But it's a long way for us."
