Table of contents for 2021-10-05 in Cape Times

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za South Africa’s tourism industry could be thrown a lifeline later this week when the United Kingdom (UK) government reviews its decision on travel restrictions, which could boost economic activity ahead of the festive season. This comes after a meeting of scientists and advisors from both countries last week on further research into the Beta variant that has created the perception that South Africa was a Covid-19 hotspot. The relaxation of South Africa’s lockdown restriction to their lowest, with a midnight curfew and alcohol sales throughout the week, as the country officially “exited” the third wave of infections, is likely to boost the prospect of relaxation of the UK ban. Currently, South Africa is one of 54 countries on the UK’s “red list”, from which travellers arriving…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dudla@inl.co.za THE RAND OPENED the week on the back foot again yesterday, after closing stronger on Friday, as the markets turned highly risk sensitive with fallout over China’s largest property group, Evergrande, taking another turn. On Friday, the rand firmed strongly, closing 1.4 percent stronger at R14.87 to the greenback as US bond yields firmed and the dollar backtracked on its recent strength. But Chinese property giant Evergrande’s shares were suspended yesterday, triggering fears of its potential collapse, a move that would trigger serious shock waves throughout global markets. The company said it was going to make “an announcement containing inside information about a major transaction” which could see it selling a majority stake to a rival real estate firm in order to cover its mounting debt.…

GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za THE MULTI-BILLION rand film and television sector can create employment and transformation, and uplift those participating in it, says Coal Stove Pictures founder and executive producer Wandile Molebatsi. However, only about R15.8 million of the billions invested were going to black, female and previously disadvantaged people and companies, he said, even though a number of black film-makers were producing excellent local content and Hollywood blockbusters in South Africa. Molebatsi said the industry had good potential for life-changing employment and transformation. “There is still an obvious disparity in the industry, what can we do about it together?” he asked. Last month, the National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, released the findings of its third Economic Impact Assessment,…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za The Special Tribunal yesterday reserved judgment in the R40 million Beit Bridge border fence case where the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) wants payment to the two companies that won the now contested contract to be withheld. The tribunal’s judge, Lebohang Modiba, said she had a lot to consider and refer to in terms of case law and other previously decided cases. She added that the judgment would be ready either by the end of the year, or early next year. When the hearing started, the SIU and Department of Public Works wanted a postponement, saying they intended to call specialist witnesses, but Judge Modiba dismissed their application, setting the entire process in motion. It then emerged that some of the witnesses opted out of the process, saying…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za Dr Michael Barnes has managed to “hit two birds with one stone”. He will walk away with two qualifications after his Master’s thesis was converted into a PhD qualification. Barnes, a University of Pretoria Master’s student, received a pleasant surprise after submitting his dissertation for external examination, only for it to be converted into a PhD. His dissertation, focusing on atmospheric dynamics, was, according to an international examiner from Oxford University, “a truly outstanding and exceptional piece of work”. Barnes said the thesis studied the dynamics of upper tropospheric weather systems called cut-off lows, analysing the properties of these weather systems that extend to the surface compared to those that do not. He juggled his studies and his job as a research scientist in the SA Weather…

Eskom in breach of contract Chevon Booysen CASH-STRAPPED Eskom will have to cough up just over R208 million for being in breach of a contract between themselves and a construction company over work done at the Koeberg nuclear power station. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has set aside a Gauteng high court order and substituted it with an order dismissing the appeal with costs, including the cost of two counsel. The matter related to a contract that had been entered into for the replacement of the steam generators at the Duynefontein Koeberg Nuclear Station units 1 and 2. The contract between Eskom and Framatome made provision for what is called “compensation events” which allowed Framatome to claim from Eskom additional payment and extra time to do the work. Compensation…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE Hoërskool DF Malan community, including those who enrolled for 2022, will soon vote on the proposed new name for the school – Protea Akademie or DF Akademie. Debates around the name change at the Bellville school have persisted over the years with the current school governing body (SGB) working with the staff, parents, learners and alumni to finally start a process to rethink all aspects of the school’s identity. Daniël François Malan, a National Party member, served as prime minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. During his term, the foundations for apartheid were laid. A Facebook group, “Trots DF Malan”, started by some parents and alumni against the name change, demanded a referendum on whether the renaming should go ahead, but the request was…

THE announcement in September that the economy recorded its fourth consecutive quarter of growth, should not be anything to celebrate. Only a few sectors were responsible for the increases – namely transport, storage, and the communications industry. Booming international commodity prices in oil and chemicals creating trade surpluses, and Statistics South Africa’s recalculation of the country’s GDP, have also papered over deep economic cracks – these, in all respects, do not indicate that the economy is on a good growth path. South Africa’s economy continues to emulate poor growth factors. Currently, the state of the economy is such that economic growth has consistently remained lower than the average population growth of 1,5% per annum – this is a huge red flag, indicating that the economy remains in a slump. South…

WASHINGTON: The Czech prime minister, the king of Jordan and the chairman of India’s biggest conglomerate were among global figures denying wrongdoing yesterday, after the leak of what major news outlets called a secret trove of documents about offshore finance. Lebanon’s last two prime ministers and the serving governor of the country’s Central Bank are wiring funds to offshore accounts at a time when the country is in the grip of a crippling economic crisis and the banking system is in disarray, the ICIJ said in the Pandora Papers exposé. “In ... Lebanon, the Pandora Papers show top political and financial figures have embraced offshore havens. They include the current prime minister, Najib Mikati, his predecessor, Hassan Diab, and Riad Salameh, the governor of Lebanon’s central bank, under investigation in…

LONDON: Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish will perform at Glastonbury next June, becoming the British music festival’s youngest-ever solo headliner, organisers said yesterday. The 19-year-old hitmaker, who sings the theme tune for the latest James Bond movie No Time To Die, performed at the festival’s Other Stage in 2019, the last time the major greenfield music event was held. It was cancelled last year and this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although a virtual event was organised in May.…

NAIROBI: In Kenya’s capital Nairobi, restaurant owner Miriam Kamau lifts a steaming ladle of food from a stove burning locally produced ethanol – a fuel made from the byproducts of sugar production. She is one of 200 000 customers of three-year-old Kenyan company Koko, that’s replaced fuels such as charcoal, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas with locally produced ethanol. Ethanol from agricultural waste helps cut down on greenhouse emissions – partly because consumers won’t be using charcoal made from cutting down trees. The United Nations Environment Programme says sugar cane bioethanol can reduce emissions by 40-62% compared to petroleum-derived fuels. Customers also like it because it’s cheaper. “We were among the first to use it,” Kamau said as she laid a table. “It has helped very much. Right now…

KIEV: Ukrainian police yesterday said they had arrested a 25-year-old man who hacked more than 100 foreign companies and caused damage worth more than $150 million (R2.2 billion). The hacker, who was not identified, used phishing attacks and hijacked software that allows computers to be accessed remotely, a police statement said. The victims included “world-famous energy and tourism companies”, it added. The hacker was caught with the help of law enforcement officials from the US, France, Europol and Interpol. Police conducted searches at the homes of the defendant and his relatives.…

One of the finest sub-plots to the Springboks’ victory over the All Blacks on the Gold Coast at the weekend was the performance of Elton Jantjies. The Boks departed for South Africa via Brisbane on Sunday following a remarkable 31-29 win over the Rugby Championship-winning All Blacks in a thriller of a Test. The result saw the South Africans bounce back from three defeats on the trot. In their last meeting against the New Zealanders for the 2021 season, Jantjies came on at flyhalf – with starting No 10 Handre Pollard shifting to midfield – after wing Sbu Nkosi left the field after taking a knock to his head. It was a longer run than usual for Jantjies, who had been unused in the three Tests the Boks played in…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ASCENDIS Health received the nod from shareholders to proceed with a proposed restructuring of the group that has avoided placing the company’s South African assets in business rescue. The approval paves the way for the implementation of the transaction to settle debt of approximately €444 million (R7.65 billion) owed to senior lenders. Ascendis said 98.5 percent of shareholders voted in favour of the recapitalisation, exceeding the required 75 percent threshold. Shareholders representing over 47 percent of the company’s issued shares voted at the general meeting. Shareholders also supported the transactions for the disposal of the Animal Health and Respiratory Care Africa (RCA) businesses. Chief executive Mark Sardi welcomed the strong vote of confidence from retail and institutional shareholders following months of negotiations…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za INSURER Metropolitan has come out strongly to combat youth unemployment by backing the Collective Shapers initiative with the launch of the first incubator programme in Polokwane, Limpopo, to aid the city develop its farming knowledge and skills and to alleviate youth unemployment. The initiative in Polokwane is in conjunction with Agri Enterprises, who are the partners in this first leg, which will then move to other parts of the country. The programme in Polokwane includes education on agriculture, building and maintaining a business, and post-course support for when participants leave the classroom and begin working. Metropolitan head of marketing Nontokozo Madonsela told Business Report the Polokwane initiative, which will take a first batch of 20 agricultural entrepreneurs, was a litmus for the roll-out expected over the next…

Princess Beatrice has named her daughter Sienna Elizabeth. The royal, 33, and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, welcomed their daughter into the world on September 18, and on Friday, Beatrice confirmed the name they have chosen for the new arrival. Beatrice posted the news on Twitter, adding that her 5-year-old stepson Wolfie – whom Edoardo has with Dara Huang – is “the best big brother” to little Sienna. She wrote: “We are delighted to share that we’ve named our daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.” Edoardo posted on his own social media: “ … with every child you grow a whole new heart.” Sienna’s middle name is a tribute to her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and comes after several other royal children – including Prince William’s daughter Charlotte Elizabeth and Prince…

Newsroom shocked, saddened Kennedy Mudzuli kennedy.mudzuli@inl.co.za FORMER Pretoria News editor, veteran journalist and National Press Club chairperson Val Boje took her last breath yesterday morning after surgery at Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital in Pretoria. Boje, married to Roy Devenish for 39 years, would have turned 63 in November. She was in hospital for a minor heart operation. According to one of her last social media statuses, she was upbeat and positive about her health and the care that she was receiving. In a statement, her family said the legendary scribe lived and breathed the Pretoria News. She worked her entire career at the Pretoria daily. “This is something unheard of in modern times. That’s an indication of the sort of dedication and loyalty that was so much a part of her core…

Cope Councillor Farouk Cassim reflects on five years in the council SECTION 153 of the Constitution defines the developmental duties of municipalities, namely to ensure the provision of services, promote social and economic development, ensure a safe and healthy environment and encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. As the promotion of social and economic development is a constitutional mandate, political parties should have been presenting written plans to voters for inclusion into the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). National politics is made for grandstanding. Councillors, however, have only 10 plenary meetings a year and must concentrate on making and implementing the IDP. The portfolio committee in the National Assembly sits continually. Councillors attend two separate portfolio meetings a month. MPs are entitled…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za ONE of the three spearfishermen attacked by what was believed to be a leopard seal off the False Bay coastline recently, has described the incident as a “near-death experience”. Veteran spearfishermen Jerome Petersen, 50, from Stellenbosch, along with Josua Joubert, 40, from Bloubergstrand and Cameron Vannithing, 24, from Strand, encountered the aggressive seal while spearfishing on September 26. Petersen recalls something yanking at his ankle about 400 metres off-shore between Spaniard Rock and Caravan Reef, near Miller’s Point. The seal then attacked them relentlessly, Petersen said, and kept on trying to bite them as they desperately tried to get back to the shore to safety. “I remember the attacks were just relentless and most of the time, my mind just blanked. “I remember, at one point, just…

Staff writer ACTIONSA has threatened the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) with legal action after its name was not included in the final draft ballot papers for ward candidates. The political party said the 10am deadline for the IEC to remedy the issue came and went without a response, and they presumed that the IEC had no intention to remedy the matter. “ActionSA has concluded a meeting with our legal team, who are bewildered by the commission’s refusal to remedy this issue. They have affirmed our position that there is no legal basis for the commission to refuse this request and are confident the courts will share this perspective.” But IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela said the absence of the abbreviated name of ActionSA on the ward ballots happened…

How does one build a country with those who don’t honestly embrace unity? THE question “Where were you when the Twin Towers imploded?”, or some other momentous occasion, will always intrigue us when we think back about major events of the past. Such was what occupied our minds when we read the thought-provoking article by Dr Rashied Omar on September 27 about the brutal slaying of Imam Haron 52 years ago. This was going to be the trend when the apartheid rulers decided to “eliminate” all those who dared to oppose their evil Nazi-style policy of supremacist racial “separateness”. The assassination of peace- loving people like Ahmed Timol, David Webster, Neil Aggett, Anton Lubowski, Steve Biko, the Cradock Four, the Pebco Three and many, many others followed. Even today,…

The UK government yesterday said it was ready to abandon a post-Brexit trading accord for Northern Ireland unless the EU agreed to changes. Brexit minister David Frost said he anticipated a response from Brussels “over the next couple of weeks” regarding the province. That would then trigger what Frost said should be a short period of negotiations that could lead to the government invoking a suspension clause, Article 16, of the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol. “I assume if we do use Article 16, the EU will look to retaliate” through trade tariffs on UK-wide goods, he said. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said: “The current structure of the Protoco … is failing everyone in Northern Ireland.” In Brussels, EU spokesperson Dan Ferrie said: “We’re working intensively to find practical solutions.”…

ROME: One of Romania’s richest men, billionaire businessman Dan Petrescu, was killed with his wife, son and several others when a plane he was piloting crashed on Sunday just minutes after take-off, on the outskirts of Milan. Petrescu, 68, was a flight enthusiast whose wealth exceeded $3 billion (about R44.6bn), Italian media reported. He had an empire of buildings, hypermarkets and shopping centres. Petrescu was en route from Milan’s Linate airport to the island of Sardinia, when his plane descended in what some witnesses described as a freefall. Among the other seven who died, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, were Petrescu’s wife, Regina Dorotea Petrescu Balzat, 65, his son, Dan Stefan Petrescu, 30, and an Italian-French family with a baby. A prosecutor in Milan, Tiziana Siciliano, said…

Ouagadougou: Nine soldiers were killed in an attack on a military detachment in jihadist-hit northern Burkina Faso yesterday, security sources said. “Armed individuals attacked the military detachment of Yirgou” in the Barsalogho department early yesterday, a security source said, giving a provisional death toll of nine soldiers. Another security source confirmed the toll, adding that five people were injured in the attack and “evacuated” for treatment. That source added that there was also an “enormous” amount of equipment lost, with some burnt and “other equipment taken away by the attackers”.…

A PROBE by the Philippine government has found 154 police officers could be criminally liable for their conduct in President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. The findings, announced by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, come just after the International Criminal Court (ICC) approved a formal probe into thousands of state killings of alleged drug dealers since Duterte took office in 2016. Activists say cover-ups and executions of thousands of users and pushers have not been prosecuted. Police deny wrongdoing. Officially, 6 200 drug suspects were killed. Activists say thousands more, mostly users or small-time dealers, were killed by mystery gunmen.…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Graeme Smith has stressed the importance of India’s end of year tour to South Africa in order for Cricket South Africa (CSA) to maintain its development projects. The international cricket calendar has been thrown inyo turmoil over this past 18 months due to Covid-19 with CSA already experiencing England pulling out of an ODI series last November, while Australia did not arrive at all in South Africa back in March. The suspension of these tours came at a great financial cost to CSA, although they have since hosted both the Pakistan Men’s and Women’s teams, along with the Sri Lankan Men’s team in bio-secure environments successfully. But with England withdrawing from a short tour to Pakistan recently citing “bubble fatigue”, concerns have been raised once again…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za JAYENDRA Naidoo, by his conduct, “breached and violated his fiduciary duty” and was not empowered with authority to institute legal proceedings against furniture retailer Steinhoff, according to a Western Cape High Court judgment last week. Steinhoff challenged a resolution adopted by Lancaster 101 which purported to grant Naidoo its director authority to institute legal proceedings in a bid to recoup losses after the retailer’s share price crashed in December 2017. Steinhoff argued Naidoo did not have authority to institute legal proceedings given his directorship in Lancaster 101 (L101) and the subsequent “windfall” that he received as sole shareholder and director of the Lancaster Group. Naidoo, a former trade unionist through his company L101, convinced the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which manages assets worth over R1 trillion,…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE AGRICULTURAL sector was likely to grow by more than 6 percent this year after an already solid growth of 13.4 percent year-on-year last year, the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) said yesterday. The association of agribusinesses chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said this expansion would likely slow to a long-term average of about 3 percent next year. “The continuous favourable weather conditions, strong export activity and relatively higher commodity prices will remain critical catalysts for growth in this sector in the near term. “While there remains uncertainty about the commodity price trajectory, the expected La Niña and associated dryness it typically brings to South America could prove to be a significant global price supporting factor and, in turn, boost the South African agricultural commodities market,”…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za SALT RIVER residents are up in arms over a funeral parlour that started operating in the basement of the Durnham Square building, saying they had not been consulted and were not comfortable with the arrangement. The building is also not far from the Salt River mortuary. Body corporate chairperson Bruce Macdonald said Doves Funerals had been operating from the building for about a month now, initially to their surprise. “We had no notice, no consultation, no prior discussion. I came across an email from Doves, making reference to the building. Then I asked questions and never got a response until we arranged a meeting. There, it was confirmed that a mortuary would be operating from the basement. The 15-year lease was signed on July 1. They said…

OWN CORRESPONDENT NEW research indicates that an overload of various inflammatory molecules “trapped” inside insoluble microscopic blood clots or micro clots might be the cause of some of the lingering symptoms experienced by individuals with Long Covid. This unexpected finding was made by Prof Resia Pretorius, a researcher in the Department of Physiological Science at Stellenbosch University (SU), when she started looking at micro clots and their molecular content in blood samples from individuals with Long Covid. The findings have since been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology in August 2021. “We found high levels of various inflammatory molecules trapped in micro clots present in the blood of individuals with Long Covid. Some of the trapped molecules contain clotting proteins such as fibrinogen, as well as alpha(2)-antiplasmin,” Pretorius…

Sihle Mavuso and Kailene Pillay ONE of eight nominees will occupy the country’s top judicial position after Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s term comes to an end. Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, AYO Technology Solutions board chairperson Dr Wallace Mgoqi and Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo are among the eight nominated to take the position of chief justice. Also in contention are Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Justice Mandisa Maya (currently the president of the Supreme Court of Appeal), Judge President Dunstan Mlambo and advocate Alan Nelson, SC. The Presidency received 148 submissions from the public when the process opened on September 16. Only 25 met the set criteria. This was whittled down to eight candidates who made it to the list of the nominations panel chaired…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za YET another ANC ward candidate and his family had a narrow escape when they came under fire by armed men while sleeping in their Khayelitsha Site C home. Vuyani Nongalo’s wife Siphokazi Nongalo said the shooting happened amid political disputes in ward 18, a pending court case, and threats which were made a few days ago. “At around 1.15am we woke to the sound of gunshots hitting the wall and they continued to go off. My husband got out of bed and stood beside it, while I was holding the baby and rocking her, so that she doesn't wake up. “When it became quiet, my husband went to our son’s room to check up on him, but luckily he was fast asleep. “The TV in the lounge…

The time has come for the government to impose harsher fines on companies that have been found to be responsible for serious environmental degradation. The decision taken by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy, to open a criminal case in connection with the chemical spill from the United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) warehouse during the July unrest should be applauded and encouraged. Pesticide and agro-chemicals spilt into Ohlange River, uMhlanga Estuary and the sea as a result of the fire. Creecy’s announcement comes after the release of a joint preliminary investigation report into the compliance profile of the Cornubia-based warehouse. Companies need to know that they should respect and adhere to the country’s environmental laws or face stiff punishment, including criminal prosecution and the jailing of their…

AN analyst at the European Foundation for South Asian Studies has expressed concern over religious schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan becoming breeding grounds for terrorists. In her virtual speech at the 48th session of UN Human Rights Session, Anne Heckendorff said: “It is well-known that the menace of terrorism in South Asia has largely grown out of religious schools, the so-called Madrassas. These schools that often times instil a distorted, ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam still flourish uninhibitedly in Pakistan and Afghanistan”. She said: “The Taliban and the dreaded Haqqani network were born from such Madrassas in Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other terrorist organisations continue operating such terror factories in Pakistan under the protection of the country’s powerful intelligence agency”. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are illegal “madrasas” which…

US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian yesterday won the Nobel Medicine Prize for discoveries on receptors for temperature and touch. “The groundbreaking discoveries by this year’s Nobel Prize laureates have allowed us to understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world,” the Nobel jury said. The pair’s research is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including chronic pain. Julius, who in 2019 won the $3 million (R44.9m) Breakthrough Prize in life sciences, said he was stunned to receive the call from the Nobel committee yesterday. “One never really expects that to happen. I thought it was a prank,” he told Swedish Radio. The Nobel Foundation posted…

TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said yesterday he planned to call a general election on October 31. Kishida made the announcement at a press conference last night after he was elected as the 100th prime minister in Japanese political history in the afternoon. As the term of the members of the House of Representatives is set to expire on October 21, Kishida said he would dissolve the lower chamber of the parliament on October 14. He also said that the campaigning for members of the House of Representatives is slated to begin on October 19. Kishida served as Japan’s foreign minister from 2012 to 2017.…

Kuala Lumpur: Eleven endangered turtles have been found slaughtered off the Malaysian part of Borneo island, with members of an indigenous, sea-dwelling community suspected of targeting them for food, officials said yesterday. Wildlife officials found the green turtles Friday during patrols near the city of Semporna, in Sabah state. It is a crime in Malaysia to target protected turtles, punishable by jail terms and fines. The department said such crimes in the area are usually committed by the Bajau Laut, a community of sea-dwelling nomads who typically live on boats off Borneo.…

Italy face their first true test since winning Euro 2020 this week when Roberto Mancini’s side host the Final Four of the Nations League with three of Europe’s best ready to pounce. The Azzurri face Spain in the first semi-final tomorrow, with the San Siro awaiting a repeat of the Euro last-four clash with Luis Enrique’s side which ended with a penalty shoot-out victory for Italy. The other semi-final, on Thursday, features world champions France and Belgium, ranked the planet’s best side despite also being eliminated from the European Championship by the Italians. Italy have been on a high after beginning a memorable summer of sport for the Mediterranean nation by beating England in the Wembley final of the Euro. Mancini has largely stuck with the heroes of that tournament…

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will decide this week whether the proposed arrangements in Australia are sufficient for The Ashes to go ahead, it said yesterday. England captain Joe Root and other players have expressed doubts about the tour due to “bubble fatigue” and concerns their families will not be able to travel with them due to Australia’s strict Covid-19 protocols. Australia has caps on international arrivals and there is a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine, even for the fully vaccinated. The ECB said it has been in talks with its players and management, while the board also remains in constant contact with Cricket Australia (CA). “With health and wellbeing at the forefront, our focus is to ensure the tour can go ahead with conditions for players and management…