South Africa’s only men’s home internationals of the summer have been trimmed once again. What was meant to be a five-match T20I contest with West Indies will now run to just three games after a clash with the build-up period for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The ICC’s “support period” for the tournament starts on 31 January. CSA and Cricket West Indies therefore had to wrap things up by the evening of that date, lopping off two fixtures that had sat in early February.
Newlands in Cape Town and Buffalo Park in East London are the unlucky venues. Instead, the revised itinerary reads:
• 27 January – Boland Park, Paarl
• 29 January – SuperSport Park, Centurion
• 31 January – the Wanderers, Johannesburg
The Johannesburg match doubles as the annual Pink Day, when the team swaps green for pink to raise funds and awareness for breast-cancer treatment. With no home ODIs pencilled in this season, Pink Day shifts from the 50-over slot to T20 cricket for the first time.
CSA admitted in a short release that the change was “far from ideal”, before adding: “The adjustment gives both squads a clean run-in to the World Cup and keeps player workloads manageable.”
Under-19 fixtures slotted in
To make use of an otherwise quiet January, three Under-19 one-dayers against India have been arranged for 3, 5 and 7 January at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. They serve as warm-ups for the Under-19 World Cup, co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia later in the month.
Why the calendar is thin
South Africa’s senior men start their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan next month and stay on the road until 19 December. That trip is followed by a full tour of India – two Tests, three ODIs, five T20Is – leaving precious little room back home.
Ground-staff in several provinces are also busy preparing for the 2027 50-over World Cup, which South Africa will stage alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia. Drop-in pitches are being trialled, a project that has forced some venues out of action this summer.
Domestic centrepiece still SA20
The domestic franchise tournament begins on Boxing Day and dominates the festive season. CSA is banking on SA20 to keep the turnstiles moving while the international programme remains light.
In short, South African fans still get live cricket at Paarl, Centurion and the Wanderers, though Cape Town and East London will have to wait another year. Not perfect, but given a crowded global calendar, perhaps the best compromise available.
