Proteas triumph shows the importance of a fairer international schedule

South Africa’s glorious championship-winning moment at Lord’s came against a backdrop of concerns about the Test format that should provide food for thought for the International Cricket Council and particularly the sport’s three wealthiest nations, India, Australia and England. 

Proteas players and coaches have made it clear that they want to compete in more Tests. “It's always been my most important and favourite format,” said Aiden Markram, the player of the match in the five-wicket World Test Championship final victory over Australia. 

“Naturally, playing fewer games is not really on us, it's just sort of the cards you get dealt. But it's really important, in my opinion, to keep Test cricket as the number one in South Africa.”

Markram and others in the Proteas set-up have made it clear that they understand the dynamics of the international calendar, which in the past few years has been dominated by series between England, India and Australia. India, faced Australia Down Under last year in a five-match series that drew enormous crowds and are due to face England later this week in another five match series.

England head to Australia at the end of the year for the Ashes, another series comprising five matches. South Africa, meanwhile, don’t play a Test at home again until September next year. The feast that follows this summer’s famine, will include eight Tests in 2026/27, with three-match series against both England and Australia. 

“The schedule is what it is, we’d love to play more red ball cricket,” said Proteas skipper, Temba Bavuma. 

However, the absence of Tests this year is because of two lengthy back-to-back tours to Pakistan and India, that starts in October and ends in India in December. With another edition of the T20 World Cup also scheduled for next February, Cricket SA, has shifted the start of the SA20 to Boxing Day. 

That decision has drawn criticism, but CSA which is a majority shareholder in the tournament, wants to continue to prioritise it, because of its growing economic importance to the sport in the country. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad, while continuing to advocate for Test cricket, has also made it clear, cricket would almost cease without the SA20. 

Those economic realities don’t worry the Big Three. And because in the last few years they’ve scheduled even more matches against one another, the already shrinking period for Test cricket becomes even smaller.

It’s what made the comments from former England captain Michael Vaughan and former Australian coach Darren Lehmann so galling when they criticised the teams the Proteas beat to reach the WTC final. 

“I can promise you now that we'd love to play against everybody more often, especially if there's some big money series so that we can also make some money,” said Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince

Conrad was characteristically forthright about the scheduling. “We play whatever is put in front of us. There are a lot of things we’d like, but we can’t get,” Conrad said as the confetti rained down on him at Lord’s. “We play the cards we are dealt. And then, it’s not what you’re dealt, it’s how you play those cards. We have done that nicely thus far.”

It is up to the ICC and the ‘Big Three’ to ensure there is a fairer schedule and that matches and series’ involving them aren’t the only Test cricket that is played. 

“I want people to fall in love with first class and Test cricket again. And they will,” said Conrad. “The spin-offs are immense. T20, the most popular format, benefits if you have a strong first class system, and a strong Test team.”