According to Future Tours, the South African national cricket team is all set to tour Bangladesh for two matches next month. As per the schedule, the Test series between the teams is scheduled to begin on October 21, but there is no clarity on whether the series will go ahead as scheduled.
According to ESPNCricinfo reports, it has been learnt that Cricket South Africa (CSA), in consultation with the South African Cricket Association (SACA), will decide by the end of this week whether the Test team will travel to Bangladesh. This is due to the bad situation in the Asian country due to the anti-government protests.
The anti-government protests also prompted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, the future of cricket in Bangladesh so far seems very uncertain, especially with global events also being moved.
Sources close to the CSA, who spoke to ESPNCricinfo, said they are hopeful of travelling to Bangladesh for the two-match Test series. It is learnt that the governing body has received indications that the situation in Bangladesh has stabilised.
Cricket South Africa is not prepared to take any risks if it identifies any threats in the security assessments
But Cricket South Africa is not willing to take any chances if it identifies any threats in the security assessments. A collective decision is likely to be taken soon. This means the governing body will leave it up to each player to decide whether they feel comfortable travelling to Bangladesh.
There have also been reports that have He said there is no plan to play the Bangladesh Tests anywhere else for the time being. So far, there has been no official confirmation on the matter from any of the cricket governing bodies.
Even if the Proteas squad decides to travel to Bangladesh for the two-match Test series, it will be without some key players. Pacers Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee are unlikely to travel as they have been recovering from their injuries and will return to action in November.
South Africa currently sit seventh in the ICC World Test Championship points table. To qualify for the final, they need to win at least five of their remaining matches. They have six Test matches left in the ongoing cycle. In the six matches so far, they have won two, lost three and drawn one.
In the current cycle, South Africa have played two Test series, so they are prioritising SA20, their domestic T20 franchise competition and cost-cutting. It remains to be seen what their future holds in relation to the Test series in Bangladesh.
The Proteas squad will be back in action when they visit the United Arab Emirates for the white-ball tour. They will take on Afghanistan in the three-match ODI series and will then play the three-match ODI series against Ireland and the two-match T20I series.
