CSA learns from NZ debacle with schedule for England in 2027 nearly sealed

Not wanting to “shoot itself in the foot” again, Cricket SA is close to sealing a deal with its England counterpart that will allow it to avoid embarrassment the next time the Proteas schedule coincides with the SA20. 

Though England’s next tour to South Africa is still three years away, CSA is understood to have already worked out a plan for the schedule that will see the Test series conclude before the 2027 SA20. The English limited overs side then return for the two white ball series’ later in February that year. 

Cricket SA was stung by the criticism it received when the selection of a Proteas team for the tour to New Zealand earlier this season was severely compromised because Test coach Shukri Conrad was not allowed to select any of the nationally contracted players. Others who had already been contracted by the SA20 franchise were also not available. 

The fallout from CSA’s decision to back its moneymaking T20 franchise competition saw the organisation accused of undermining the status of Test cricket, with a number of prominent personalities within the sport questioning the future of the format. 

South Africa’s players were left fuming too, and in recent weeks Dean Elgar and Kagiso Rabada outlined their angst about CSA’s decision. Elgar told espncricinfo.com the circumstances surrounding the tour were “pretty s**t”. In an interview with Indian agency PTI, Rabada, at present playing for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, repeatedly said the planning for the tour was “unacceptable”. 

“That is a planning issue, and it has got to do with what is happening at the higher level; what happened with Cricket SA. It was basically a double-book, that was what it was,” Rabada said.

“At the end of the day, we didn't really get a choice to even go [to New Zealand] because of the importance of the SA20. It is like shooting yourself in the foot.”

The undermanned South African side lost the short series 2-0, ending a long record of never having lost a Test series to New Zealand.

While Elgar’s international retirement may ease the sting of his critique, Rabada’s prominence and outspokenness made clear to CSA’s senior officials they could not err so badly again.

Hence negotiations with the England Cricket Board have opened already and there is optimism among CSA officials that the tour will be split in two and neither the national team nor the SA20 will be compromised. 

The 2026-27 season is going to be a very busy one for South Africa, who will also host Australia and Sri Lanka that summer for a total of five Tests before England arrive in December 2026. Besides the history, a tour by England is one of the few where CSA can earn money from Test matches, while their large touring supporter groups — including the “Barmy Army” — add millions to local coffers.

Meanwhile, CSA is still awaiting a final decision from the International Cricket Council about the dates for next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan, which is due to take place from February, again putting the SA20 under the microscope. 

The event features the top eight finishers from last year’s World Cup, but India and Pakistan’s fractured relations have again forced the ICC into playing a waiting game. India’s sports minister Anurag Thakur was reported this week as saying India should not play cricket in Pakistan, saying that country supported terrorism in India.

Though the Champions Trophy was not on the agenda at the recent ICC meetings in Dubai, talks on the sidelines there have suggested the event will start in the second half of February, which would leave sufficient time for the SA20 to be played.