Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen questioned Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision of postponing their Test tour of South Africa and asked if the Australian board would have done the same on an India tour. The former England captain also questioned England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to pull out midway through a tour to South Africa last year due to COVID-19 concerns but going ahead with a Test tour to Sri Lanka despite a player from the England squad testing positive for the virus while on tour. 

No way @CricketAus would have not played India in a Test tour.

It’s a really dark time in the world of cricket with CA cancelling their tour of @OfficialCSA. @englandcricket also pulled out of SA due to Covid issues, but players test positive in SL and tour goes on?!

 

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) February 3, 2021

CA had on Tuesday decided to postpone their tour to South Africa citing an “unacceptable” risk to player safety in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It has become clear that travelling from Australia to South Africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community,” said CA interim CEO Nick Hockley said Tuesday in an official statement. 

“This decision has not been made lightly and we are extremely disappointed, especially given the importance of continuing international cricket at this time. 

“However, we have been consistent since the start of the pandemic that the health and safety of our people is always our number one priority and unfortunately despite best efforts to agree a biosecurity plan, the risks are simply too great at this time.” 

Late last year, England had pulled out of a limited-overs tour of South Africa after a spate of COVID-19 cases in the South African contingent. 

However, the Test tour to Sri Lanka, which was itself postponed earlier in 2020 when the pandemic struck, went on despite Moeen Ali testing positive for the virus. 

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Moeen didn’t play either of the two Tests even as England won the series 2-0. 

England are in India on an all-formats tour that will begin with the first of four Tests in Chennai on February 5.