Cricket fans in South Africa are eagerly anticipating the upcoming series against Australia, which will include both T20I and ODI matches. The tour will kick off with three T20Is at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban starting from 30 August. This will be followed by the ODI series, which will take place from 7 September at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
The ODI series will be of great importance to both teams, as they make final preparations ahead of the Cricket World Cup, which is set to be held in India from October to November. While South Africa is yet to secure their spot in the event, they are currently in an automatic qualification position, provided Ireland fail to secure three victories in their upcoming Cricket World Cup Super League series against Bangladesh. In the unlikely scenario that Ireland does win all three matches, South Africa will have to participate in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, starting from 18th June in Zimbabwe.
The Proteas are looking forward to hosting Australia for the first time since 2020, when they came back from a 2-1 T20I series defeat to beat Australia 3-0 in the ODI series. Cricket South Africa CEO believes that this series is an important part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. He said, "It is the start of the international season for us and it is a particularly important campaign in many respects because of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. We haven't qualified , but we are there and challenging the best in the world when the tournament is played at end of this year"
The Australia tour of South Africa schedule is as follows:
T20Is (all local time, all at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban)
- Wednesday 30 August – 06 PM
- Friday 01 September – 06 PM
- Sunday 03 September – 02 PM
ODIs (all local time)
- Thursday, 07 September – 01 pm - Bloemfontein
- Saturday, 09 September – 01 pm – Bloemfontein
- Tuesday, 12 September – 01 pm – Potchefstroom
- Friday, 15 September – 01 pm – Centurion
- Sunday, 17 September – 10 am -Johannesburg
This series is not just about securing qualification for the Cricket World Cup, but also about building team morale and strengthening relationships among the players. The opportunity to play against a formidable Australian side can only benefit the Proteas, as they look to build on the excellent work that they have already done so far together under the guidance of coach Rob Walter. The tour promises to be an exciting and competitive one, with fans eagerly anticipating the start of the international season.