Cricket South Africa have confirmed a busy summer of cricket ahead which includes tours by Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan following the arrival of England in November.
The summer will begin with a limited-overs series against England who will arrive in November. A three-match T20 series will start on Friday 27 November before the following three-match ODI series begins on Friday 4 December with the tour coming to an end with a final ODI on Wednesday 9 December.
The Proteas then return to action after Christmas as the Sir Lanka tour marks a return of test cricket with vital points within the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) up for grabs.
The first test will take place at Centurion as has been the case in the previous two years before a major break in tradition will see the New Years’ test being played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, a change that will be a once-off event.
Australia are then due to arrive in February ahead of a three-test series that will run into March before finally, Pakistan will round off the season with a limited-overs series that will conclude in April 2021.
Some big news that accompanied the announcement of the schedule was a commitment to determine the viability of a tour to Pakistan by the Proteas with a South African delegation set to depart on an inspection tour this weekend.
Speaking on the announcement, CSA Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender said that CSA was “delighted to announce the schedule of men’s international cricket for the home season. It is an absolute pleasure to deliver more good news for our cricket-loving fans to consume, following last week’s confirmed tour against England and domestic season launch.
“The COVID-19 pandemic predictably forced many changes to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) and the traditional sequencing of scheduling matches in South Africa this season. This is why I am particularly proud of today’s announcement. It comes as a result of many hours of dedication, negotiation and hard work by individuals behind the scenes to ensure that our fans have an exciting line-up of cricket to look forward to throughout the summer and, although the matches will be played behind closed doors, we will have enough entertainment to make them feel as though they are a part of match-day activities.
“It is an important season for all of the formats of our beautiful game, with players having a lot to play for no matter the team they are selected in. The KFC T20 internationals will provide important preparation and a platform for selectors to monitor South Africa’s best ahead of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October and November in India. The Betway ODI series presented by Momentum will play a vital part in our team’s chances of direct qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the Betway Test series will offer a home ground advantage as our team looks to make headway in the ICC Test Championship points table.
England men’s Tour to South Africa
Friday, 27 November at 18:00 SAST:
1st KFC T20I South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town
Sunday, 29 November at 14:30 SAST:
2nd KFC T20I South Africa v England, Boland Park, Paarl
Tuesday, 01 December at 18:00 SAST:
3rd KFC T20I South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town
Friday, 04 December at 13:00 SAST:
1st Betway ODI presented by Momentum (CWCSL) South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town
Sunday, 06 December at 10:00 SAST:
2nd Betway ODI presented by Momentum (CWCSL): South Africa v England, Boland Park, Paarl
Wednesday, 09 December at 13:00 SAST:
3rd Betway ODI presented by Momentum (CWCSL): South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town
Sri Lanka men’s Tour to South Africa
Saturday, 26-30 December 2020 at 10:00 SAST:
1st Betway Test match (WTC) South Africa v Sri Lanka, SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 03-07 January 2021 at 10:00 SAST:
2nd Betway Test match (WTC) South Africa vs Sri Lanka, Imperial Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg