Nasser Hussain believes England lost confidence in South Africa's bio-secure bubble: "This was the final straw"

The ODI series has been called off to protect the physical and mental well-being of both squads after a series of positive tests for Covid-19

• England ODI series in South Africa OFF after postponement
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Ex-England captain Nasser Hussain feels a loss of faith in the bio-secure bubble in South Africa played a major role in the postponement of the one-day international series.

A joint statement from CSA and ECB stated the decision had been taken "to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams".

Confirmation of the news came after a succession of positive cases in both squads and among staff working at the hotel where both teams are staying.

It remains to be seen how the latest positives in the England camp, which are yet to be fully ratified, affect the squad's travel plans.

While the majority of the camp is planning to return home, a handful of players are due in Australia - where they will undergo a 14-day quarantine period - for the upcoming Big Bash League.

Such has been the strain of life in bio-secure bubbles during the second half of the year, Tom Banton and Tom Curran have pulled out of spells in the BBL.

And Hussain feels that once a succession of positives for coronavirus were detected, given the impact it could have on the immediate future, the series was automatically in jeopardy.

"We've already had Banton, Tom Curran pull out of the Big Bash," he told Sky Sports. "This was the final straw. 

"A lot of them will have had a lot of bubbles beforehand, in the summer with England, IPL, or they've got bubbles to come with Big Bash or Sri Lanka. 

"They have this window to get to Australia and sit in quarantine, or a window of getting home, seeing family and have a bit of time where you're not passing Covid tests and everything is on top of you. 

"This was the final straw when the bubble was breached. The players must have just gone 'enough'. 

"The CSA and ECB are absolutely right to look after the mental wellbeing of the players."

"The last thing any player would have wanted in the next two or three days is to pick up Covid from a bubble which has been breached. That's the worst-case scenario.

He added: "There is no good time to get Covid. But getting it now before Christmas and taking it back home to relatives is an absolute nightmare and they were not willing to risk that. 

"It probably wouldn't have happened but in the back of their minds sitting in a hotel room for weeks on end they would have been thinking 'am I safe in this environment?'"

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