If security is stable South Africa will play three T20s in the country.
TELFORD VICE in Cape Town
SOUTH Africa could soon be on their way to Pakistan, where no team representing their country has set foot in almost 13 years. A mooted tour there in March would form part of the preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October and November.
Cricbuzz has learnt that a delegation of security experts from South Africa is to visit Pakistan to gather intelligence on the country’s suitability for a visit by the national side. If the situation is deemed stable enough the Proteas will arrive after their tour to India, which ends on March 18, to play three T20s.
South Africa, who were last in Pakistan in October 2007 for two Tests and five one-day internationals, have played seven Tests and 26 ODIs in the country. No international teams went there for more than six years after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore on March 3, 2009 — which killed eight and wounded nine, including six Lankan players. Tours resumed in May 2015, when Zimbabwe played two T20s and three ODIs. Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh have also since visited, all without incident.
South Africans have been to Pakistan in recent years, but only as individuals. A World XI that played three T20s in Lahore in September 2017 included Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Imran Tahir and Morné Morkel. Rilee Rossouw, JP Duminy, Cameron Delport, David Wiese and Colin Ingram have featured in Pakistan Super League matches in Karachi and Lahore.
Before any trip to Asia or anywhere else comes into focus, South Africa will have to find a way past World Cup champions England in three ODIs starting at Newlands on Tuesday. Quinton de Kock will be at the helm for the first time as the appointed captain, and his squad includes exciting prospects like medium pacer Lutho Sipamla, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin, opening batter Janneman Malan — brother of Test opener Pieter Malan — and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne. The absence of Du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada, who have been rested for the series, will only add to the newness of De Kock’s team.
Batter Jon-Jon Smuts, Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi came through a fitness camp well enough to keep their places in the squad, but fast bowler Sisanda Magala didn’t make the grade. “It’s been a tough assignment and the guys have really put in the work with the ambition to get into the green and gold in mind,” a release quoted acting director of cricket Graeme Smith as saying. “That’s the kind of commitment and grit we’re looking for in our national team. I’m pleased that Lungi, Tabraiz and Jon-Jon have been declared fully fit to join the ODI squad and I’m confident that Sisanda will be in that circle soon enough. He has put in an immense amount of work over a short period of time and we want to ensure he has the tools to deal with the high demands of international cricket when the opportunity arises.”
Magala, who took 11 wickets in nine games for the Cape Town Blitz in this year’s Mzansi Super League, will remain with the national squad and could yet play in the T20 series against England that will follow the ODIs.
First published by Cricbuzz.
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