Graeme Smith, Director of Cricket of South Africa, is hopeful that the Test series against Australia next year can mark the comeback of the crowd in stadiums. Australia will tour South Africa for the first time since the infamous 2018 Test series when Steve Smith and David Warner were found guilty of ball-tampering.
Although conflicts are brewing in Cricket South Africa (CSA), Smith has assured that Australia would tour South Africa. He is optimistic that COVID-19 cases would decline next year, and thus, spectators can be allowed in stadiums.
“We’re kind of looking at the Australian series, hopefully if all goes well with COVID, to have some crowds back in the stadiums. There’ll be way more excitement around that than anything else,” the former skipper told Sydney Morning Herald.
South African fans will be grateful: Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith stated that they would try it’s best to bring back the crowd in stadiums in their country. He believes that the cricket fans would also be excited to witness their arch-rival Australia on home ground.
Smith said: “You can control it to the best of your ability. There’s not a place in the world where there hasn’t been a fan chirping or having a crack.”
“That’s part of playing sport at the highest level in opposition countries. We’ll try our best to marshall it. I think South African fans will be grateful to have a quality team like Australia playing.
“It’s been one of those crazy periods where things we’ve gotten used to have been taken away from us,” Graeme Smith said.
Well, Australia is inviting a crowd during their upcoming four-match Test series against India. The Adelaide Oval is restricted to 50 per cent capacity while Melbourne has allowed 25,000 fans for each day of the Boxing Day Test. The Third Test to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground also has a cap of 23,000 that is 50 per cent of its total capacity while the fourth Test at Brisbane can host up to 30,000 fans, or 75 per cent of its capacity.