Australia will play eight white-ball games in South Africa before ODI World Cup

Australia hasn’t played a Test in South Africa since the sandpaper series and that drought is set to continue despite a new tour.

Australia will play its first T20s since the retirement of captain Aaron Finch in South Africa in September on a white-ball tour which will form part of preparations for the World Cup in India.

An eight-match tour including three T20s and five ODIs will be played in late-August and early September ahead of November’s World Cup.

The Aussies haven’t played a T20 since bowing out of the World Cup last November, as defending champions, after which Finch stepped down.

A new captain is yet to be named but Test skipper Pat Cummins was named his replacement as leader of the ODI side, although Steve Smith took control in Australia’s winning series against India in March.

The Australian team could be at full-strength with a raft of Test players who are part of the ODI World Cup plans set to have close to a month off following the conclusion of the Ashes on July 31.

But the availability of the likes of Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Cameron Green could be determined by their workloads during the Test campaign which also includes the World Test Championship final against India.

Dates have been locked in for our Aussie men to take part in an eight-match white ball series in South Africa in August and September! 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/79ZnYq0Wxa

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) May 5, 2023

The South African series will be the penultimate World Cup warm-up, with Australia set to play another three ODIs against India before the tournament.

Australia has not played in South Africa since a three T20s and three ODIs in February, 2020, right before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Australia has not played a Test in South Africa since the 2018 series, which was marred by the sandpaper scandal.

The International Cricket Council‘s future tours calendar has the Proteas next hosting Australia for Tests in September-October 2026.

Australia’s white-ball tour of South Africa

T20s (all in Durban)

August 30

September 1

September 3

ODIS

September 7 – Bloemfontein

September 9 – Bloemfontein

September 12 – Potchefstroom

September 15 – Centurion

September 17 – Johannesburg

Originally published as Australia will play eight white-ball games in South Africa before ODI World Cup