Cricket In order for both teams to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka on schedule, South Africa (CSA) may have to shorten their only men’s international home series this summer against the West Indies.
Between January 27 and February 6, the Proteas will welcome the West Indies for five Twenty20 Internationals. The T20 World Cup, however, is reportedly scheduled to take place from February 7 to March 8. Teams are likely to travel in the host countries and play non-obligatory warm-up matches during the ICC’s support period, which begins on January 31 if the multi-team championship does begin on February 7.
This is earlier than February 3, and CSA planned their home schedule so that South Africa would have enough time to get to the T20 World Cup.
Teams are not required to stay at one of the host locations for the whole of the ICC support period. With choices ranging from zero to two, the ICC has asked participating countries to indicate how many warm-up matches they are willing to play.
The support phase will only last one week prior to the tournament’s opening match if a nation requests two warm-up games. In order to find out when the West Indies would like to travel to the subcontinent and how many warm-up games they intend to play there, CSA is currently in contact with Cricket West Indies. The ICC support period begins on February 3, four days prior to the first game on February 7, if teams choose not to play any warm-up games.
South Africa will have to drop at least the remaining two Twenty20 Internationals, even if the West Indies determine that the series against them will suffice to get ready for the 20-team World Cup. The dates of the fourth and fifth Twenty20 Internationals are set for February 4 and 6, respectively.
Since the fourth SA20 edition ends on January 25, CSA is unable to pre-schedule the series. In order to prepare its grounds for the 2027 ODI World Cup, South Africa isn’t playing many home games this summer. For the venues, drop-in pitches are being created. With ten home Test matches (eight men’s and two women’s), including three-match series against Australia and England, South Africa’s schedule will be busier the next season.
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