Official: Proteas’ tour to India postponed

SAs much-anticipated limited overs tour to India in September and October has been postponed.

Cricket SA (CSA) confirmed to TimesLIVE this week that a new date will be discussed with the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and said the postponement does not have any negative financial implications.

“CSA and the BCCI have jointly agreed to postpone this tour to a date still to be scheduled, and it has no financial implications for CSA‚” CSA said without going into more details.

The tour clashes with the resumption of the much-loved Indian Premier League (IPL)‚ which resumes in September in Dubai after it was postponed in May following the burst of the bio-secure bubble.

The postponement means there are two tours between SA and India that need to be rescheduled after the Proteas were forced to abandon their three-match ODI series in Dharamsala in March 2020.

It is also a massive blow for the selectors and coach Mark Boucher as the tour was a significant part of the Proteas’ preparations for the T20 World Cup to be held in similar conditions in the United Arab Emirates in October and November.

Though the Proteas will not be going to India‚ they still have a chance of preparing for the T20 World Cup on the subcontinent with a scheduled limited overs tour of Sri Lanka at the beginning of September.

The Proteas will tour Sri Lanka from September 2 to 14 for three ODIs and as many T20s‚ with all the matches to be played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

CSA also indicated that Mzansi Super League (MSL) remains on the schedule for the coming summer season, and they will make an announcement next month if it will be going ahead.

“We should be in a position to make an official announcement next month but it remains on our schedule for the coming season‚” CSA said.