South Africa’s historical tour to Pakistan will see them play in the country for the first time in 14 years, from January 26 to February 14, 2021. The three-match Test series in Karachi and Rawalpindi will be followed by three T20 internationals in Lahore.
On Friday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) director of cricket Graeme Smith revealed that the Proteas will use two different squads on the Pakistan tour. The team management wants its Test squad members to return home early so that they can begin their quarantine period ahead of the home series against Australia.
“When you work on biosecure environment protocols for Covid-19, you work with other member nations and if member nations don’t support each other and play cricket, cricket’s going to find itself in a very challenging space,” Smith said in a virtual press conference.
“Your objective is to find the protocols that work for both. In working with Cricket Australia (CA), we’ve come to a lot of those medical conclusions and how that’s going to look. There will be an initial quarantine period before that series. Unfortunately, we would have to play two different squads at the time,” he added.
According to the ICC World Test Championship schedule, the Proteas are scheduled to face the Tim Paine-led Australia in three Tests between February 14 and March 13 – a series which will be crucial for the tournament final in England in mid-2021.
Test Squad: Quinton de Kock (c), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Marco Jansen
T20I Squad: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Nandre Burger, Okuhle Cele, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Ryan Rickleton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Pite van Biljon, Glenton Stuurman, Jacques Snyman.
