Cricket SA faces another logistical nightmare

Cricket SA will have up to 40 players on standby to potentially travel for the Proteas to Pakistan next February as it attempts to squeeze in the start of a triangular One-Day series, while the SA20 wraps up on home soil. 

Though not the same nightmare as they endured earlier this year when a weakened Test squad was sent to New Zealand, Cricket SA still faces multiple logistical challenges in ensuring they meet their obligations with their Pakistan counterparts.

The SA20 released its fixture list on Monday, with the final of season 3 of the tournament taking place on February 8 at the Wanderers. On the same day Pakistan plays the opening match of a triangular ODI series against New Zealand.

The Proteas play their first match in that series on February 10, against the host nation.

“Multiple groups [of players] will be going there,” said Cricket SA CEO Pholetsi Moseki. “A first group will leave on the Wednesday [February 5] once the playoffs of the SA20 start, with the rest of the squad for the Tri-series then heading over on different days depending on the players’ participation for their franchises in the SA20.

“The guys who are in the squad, and are playing in the [SA20] final will probably fly out that evening [February 8]. There will be visas galore. We will probably make applications for 40 players. But it won’t be a disaster like we had with New Zealand earlier this year.”

On that occasion a drastically weakened Proteas Test squad was chosen, because all the nationally contracted players were stipulated by Cricket SA to play in the SA20, which finished its second season last summer.

Importantly, the SA20 will not have any bearing on the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy, which is being hosted in Pakistan and is scheduled to start on February 19.

Looking further ahead, Moseki said Cricket SA had already held talks with its counterparts at the England Cricket Board about avoiding a clash when England’s men’s side tour SA in 2026-27 with an agreement in place for that tour to be split.

England will play three Tests here that season, which should include the marquee Boxing Day and New Years matches, with the limited overs portion of the tour then taking place later in February, after the SA20.

The third season of what has quickly become one of the highlights of the local cricket summer will kick off in Gqeberha on January 9, with twice defending champions the Sunrisers Eastern Cape taking on MI Cape Town at St Georges Park.

Like last year, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs, which will be played from February 4 and include three matches — one in Gqeberha and two in Centurion — before the final on February 8.

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said the playoff series was not without logistical challenges of its own.”

The scheduling was very tough this year because of the Champions Trophy,” he said. “This year we have three play-off venues. It’s so difficult, because there’s one day between the last round-robin game and then the first play-off game. We are trying something new with three play-off venues. PE (Gqeberha) certainly deserved to host a playoff game.”

Smith also announced a return of a schools T20 competition, which was last played in 2019. More than 370 boys school teams and over 200 girls school teams will participate in the event that will start this month and conclude in March 2025.

“Schools SA20 has the potential to significantly contribute to our cricketing future. There are a number of current Proteas men and women who made their mark at schools level and we care that cricket continues to grow,” Smith said.

The new competition will be streamed via SuperSport’s SchoolSports App.