Testing times for the Proteas: Now it's off to India

SOUTH Africa's cricketers will play three Test matches over just three weeks in India after their tour of Bangladesh, which starts on February 19.

It's a daunting prospect for the players, who will have no time to rest between tours. The opening tour match against India A is a mere six days after the third ODI against Bangladesh.

A spokesman for Cricket South Africa conceded that it was a "tough" tour, but said that it was also an exciting opportunity for South Africa to play against a powerful Indian team.

South African selection chief Joubert Strydom said: "We played both India and Pakistan on big turners down in Cape Town towards the end of last season and won both matches, with [Danish] Kaneiria and [Anil] Kumble turning it out of the rough. That was a big moment for us, because it was at home, but the conditions were very Indian."

Strydom said the squad would have to be carefully managed: "We've had some injury niggles, so we need to be careful."

South Africa face an alarmingly busy year. After four more ODIs against the West Indies, a three-Test, three-ODI tour of Bangladesh and now 15 days of Test cricket in only 21 days in India, the players will have a short break.

The team will reconvene in June for a full tour of England, which consists of four Tests and five one-dayers. Immediately afterwards the team departs for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and is then off to Australia for a full tour.

It's a full diary, to say the least.

Strydom agreed that some younger players were likely to get a chance to shine in the Bangladesh one-dayers, and that the selectors were likely to consider including players such as Vernon Philander, JP Duminy, Thandi Tshabalala, Monde Zondeki and the Morkel brothers, especially Morne.

He said Neil McKenzie was still in the reckoning for a Test spot: "It depends on his injury and if the selectors take spinners, Johann Botha and Paul Harris, to India.

"It'll be a great contest."