Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2020–21

The Australia cricket team were scheduled to tour South Africa in March 2021 to play three Test matches.[1][2] The matches would have formed part of the inaugural 2019–21 ICC World Test Championship.[3][4] However, in February 2021, the tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2020–21
 
  South Africa Australia
Date March 2021
Captains Tim Paine
Test series

Background

In December 2020, South Africa's One Day International (ODI) against England was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] As a result, both cricket boards were looking at contingency plans for the Test series, including the possibility of playing the matches in Perth or the United Arab Emirates.[7] An initial provisional start date for the tour of 18 February 2021 meant a tight turnaround from the end of South Africa's tour of Pakistan,[8] although an update in January suggested the tour would begin in March 2021.[9]

On 27 January 2021, Cricket Australia named their squad for the tour, ahead of any confirmation of the dates of the fixtures.[10] However, on 2 February 2021, Cricket Australia announced that the tour had been postponed due to the pandemic.[11] As a result of the tour being postponed, New Zealand qualified for the final of the 2019–21 ICC World Test Championship.[12]

Squads
Tests
 South Africa  Australia[13]

References
  1. "Bumper 2020/2021 international season ahead for the Proteas men". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. "Sri Lanka set to play two-Test series in South Africa". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. "Men's Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  4. "Men's Future Tour Programme 2018-2023 released". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  5. "Australia call off South Africa tour because of 'unacceptable' Covid-19 risk". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  6. "South Africa v England: ODI series called off after Covid-19 tests". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  7. "Australia's tour of South Africa may move to Perth amid Covid-19 fallout". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. "Mark Boucher: 'Emphasis' on Australia Tests as South Africa to send 'watered-down' T20I team to Pakistan". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  9. "'Australia's tour at this stage is going ahead' - CSA's acting CEO". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  10. "Wade dropped, uncapped quintet picked for SA tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  11. "Australia's tour of South Africa postponed amid pandemic". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. "New Zealand qualify for WTC final after Australia-South Africa postponement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  13. "Matthew Wade dropped from Test squad, Travis Head set to reclaim middle-order spot". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
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