Reports: Cricket South Africa to postpone Test series against New Zealand to facilitate second edition of SA20

Cricket South Africa. (Photo Source: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)

Due to the second edition of SA20, Cricket South Africa (CSA) is very likely to postpone the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which is slated to be played towards the beginning of February 2024. Notably, the tournament was paused for a brief time to facilitate the three-match ODI series against England but the same will not be possible this time around due to the nature of the format.

Notably, SA20 will feature the likes of Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen among many others and hence, South Africa will either have to field a second-string team or postpone the series and the latter looks more likely at the moment.

Meanwhile, as per the contract, the cricketers are bound to feature in SA20 over the national team as the franchise-based tournament has the first rights to the players. Thus, Cricket South Africa are willing to shift the Test series and will communicate the same to New Zealand in the coming months.

On the other hand, CSA’s CEO Pholetsi Moseki told ESPNcricinfo that the organisation will have a better idea about things and a final decision will be taken only ‘after the SA20 mini-auction in September.’ Hence, things are at a very primary stage at the moment but it is more or less given that Cricket South Africa will not be changing the dates of their marquee domestic tournament.

The second edition of the SA20 league is slated to begin on January 7, right after India’s tour to South Africa. The tournament is expected to finish in the first week of February and thus, the home team expressed their desire to host New Zealand somewhere in mid-February. However, the Black Caps may not go ahead with the plan as the team is due to host Australia, whose players need to leave early because of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. Thus, there are a lot of uncertainties at the moment regarding the series.