Cricket South Africa has confirmed the dates of Australia’s upcoming white-ball tour of South Africa as the ODI team’s World Cup preparation ramps up.
Australia will face South Africa in three T20Is and five ODIs in August and September ahead of the highly-anticipated World Cup in India, which kicks off in October. It marks the first time the Australian men’s side has visited South Africa since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bilateral T20I series in Durban will be Australian side’s first challenge since Aaron Finch’s retirement – Cricket Australia is yet to announce a new men’s T20I captain.
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The five ODIs in Bloemfontein, Potchefstroom, Centurion and Johannesburg will serve as a final opportunity for Australia’s World Cup hopefuls to push their case for selection in the 15-player squad.
It remains to be seen whether Australia named a full-strength squad for the tour, which commences four weeks after the final Ashes Test in England.
Australia was scheduled to tour South Africa for three Test matches in early 2021, but the series was postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. South Africa is not expected to host Australia in a Test series until late 2026, more than eight years after the infamous 2018 tour.
The Proteas were also scheduled to play three ODI matches in Australia earlier this year, but South Africa pulled out of the tour to ensure its high-profile players were available for the SA20 tournament.
South Africa is yet to officially qualify for the World Cup in India, with the Proteas sweating on the results of next week’s three-match ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh. If the Irish clinch a 3-0 series whitewash, South Africa will need to progress to the World Cup through a qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June.
Australia most recently toured South Africa for a white-ball series in January 2020, with the Proteas defeating the tourists in a 3-0 ODI whitewash.
Australia’s white-ball tour of South Africa
August 30 – First T20I, Durban
September 1 – Second T20I, Durban
September 3 – Third T20I, Durban
September 7 – First ODI, Bloemfontein
September 9 – Second ODI, Bloemfontein
September 12 – Third ODI, Potchefstroom
September 15 – Fourth ODI, Centurion
September 17 – Fifth ODI, Johannesburg