It might be a major blow for Cricket South Africa (CSA), as Team India will not only miss the Boxing Day Test later in the year but the New Year’s Test scheduled to at Cape Town from 2nd January is also in danger of being pushed back as per reports in ESPN Cricinfo.
The Boxing Day Test usually marks the beginning of the South Africa’s international season while Cape Town often hosts the 2nd Test from January 2.
It is learnt that though India will land in South Africa by the end of this year, as they want to prepare themselves and accustomed to the conditions for at least a week before the actual tour commences comprising of four Tests, five ODI’s and two T20I’s.
A BCCI official informed Cricinfo that it is not possible for the Indian team to reach South Africa for the Boxing Day Test, as their home Test series against Sri Lanka is ending on 24th December.
“We can’t make it make it in time. The Sri Lanka tour ends on December 24. After that we need to give the boys a few days’ rest,” the board official told ESPNcricinfo. “The South Africa tour is a big one, so they need to play two warm-up games, so it will take at least 10 days [before the first Test].
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have already alerted CSA about their scheduling difficulties, and CSA has understood the fact that India cannot arrive for the Boxing Day Test, so they have started looking at other options to host a one-off Test. Reports have emerged that Pakistan and Afghanistan can be the two possible options, but nothing concrete has emerged as of now.
The Head of the South Africa’s Players Association, Tony Irish said that if the New Year’s Test in Newland failed to start on January 2, it would be a “major blow” for CSA, as the match coincides with the holiday season.
“I had been aware of the fact that they were unlikely to be there for Boxing Day, but for them not to be here for the New Year’s Day is a major blow to CSA and the fans,” Irish said. “To lose Boxing Day is a big thing, but to lose both of them would be a massive hit for the fans.”
Irish is of the opinion that India could play a solitary two-three day game ahead of the first Test, but the BCCI official ruled out the idea and said the Indian players cannot be pushed.
Irish felt such an “extremely gruelling” Test schedule combined with the limited-overs matches against India would put too much workload on players.
“If the India Test matches start much after January 2 or 3, there will be a lot of concern about the players’ workload,” Irish said. “You really compound the workload issue.” Irish has raised this concern with CSA, which has noted it.