The first ODI between South Africa and England has been postponed from Friday, December 4, to Sunday, December 6, after a South Africa player tested positive for Covid-19.

The decision was announced less than an hour and a half before the start of the match, scheduled to be held in Newlands, Cape Town. According to a statement by Cricket South Africa, the player tested positive in the last round of scheduled testing that was performed on Thursday, ahead of the ODI series.

“In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all involved in the match, the acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday,” the statement from CSA said.

There were reports that the Covid-19 protocols were breached during the three-match T20I series, which preceded the ODIs.

The updated fixtures are as follows:

Sunday, December 6: First ODI, Boland Park, Paarl

Monday, December 7: Second ODI, Newlands, Cape Town

Wednesday, December 9: Third ODI, Newlands, Cape Town

CONFIRMED: Cricket South Africa and @ECB_cricket confirm the postponement of the first #BetwayODI of the three-match series to Sunday, 06 December 2020. #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/wRXpr7YYA9

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) December 4, 2020

England won the three-match T20I series 3-0, with Dawid Malan scoring back-to-back fifties, scoring an unbeaten 99 in the third game. He won the Player of the Match award in the final two games, also being named the Player of the Series.