The South African team has six weeks to prepare before going on tour, South Africa’s deputy cricket director Graeme Smith said on Tuesday.
With South Africa officially lockdown because of COVID-19 until April 16, Smith said in a video media conference that players need to take responsibility for maintaining their fitness at home, but also need to work as a group on cricket skills before they go Go on tour.
“We have to check the situation every week,” he said, “but we estimate that we would need about six weeks before each tour.”
South Africa will tour Sri Lanka for three one-day caps and three Twenty20 caps in early June.
Smith’s schedule makes the tour unlikely to take place. This would mean that travel bans will be lifted and the current ban on the tour will end as planned.
South Africa’s next engagement is a test and T20 tour of the West Indies, scheduled to start on July 15th and would require a return to normal activity in South Africa by the end of May.
Former test captain Smith appears to have been appointed to a permanent position.
“We are in the final negotiations and hope to make an announcement next week,” said acting managing director Jacques Faul.
Faul said it was impossible to estimate when normal cricket activities would resume, but CSA had set the budget for the 2020/21 season and would be able to pay for nationally contracted players and franchise players.
“Players lose game fees and win bonuses when there is no cricket,” said Faul.
He said a third edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 competition is scheduled for November and December. Several international players took part in the first two tournaments.
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