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Following initial setbacks in establishing a franchise-based T20 league in South Africa, Cricket South Africa (CSA) successfully launched SA20, a Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament, in 2023. Its inaugural edition garnered significant financial success and viewership. The 2024 SA20 edition is scheduled to run for a month starting January 10th, 2024. Concurrently, South Africa is set to play two Test matches in New Zealand, commencing on February 4th, 2024.
In light of this scheduling conflict, CSA has announced a second-string team to tour New Zealand for the Test series to prioritize player participation in SA20. The South African Test squad comprises seven uncapped players, with Neil Brand, yet to make an international appearance, appointed as captain. This decision has sparked controversy within the cricketing community, reigniting discussions about the preservation of Test cricket. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh believes it reflects a lack of respect for New Zealand cricket.
Mark Boucher, South Africa’s second most capped Test player after Jacques Kallis and former head coach of the national team, expressed profound disappointment with the scheduling choices.
FOR MORE: https://www.sportsboom.com/cricket/mark-boucher-expresses-concerns-about-south-africa-s-test-schedule-against-new-zealand/
Boucher, who serves as an ambassador for SA20 and currently holds the position of head coach for the IPL team Mumbai Indians, shares the sentiment of many South African cricket legends. He acknowledges that the burgeoning domestic T20 League’s prosperity hinges on the presence of a formidable contingent of locally active international players.
Boucher also holds the belief that SA20’s triumph will yield enduring beneficial outcomes for South African cricket, akin to the transformative effect the IPL has had in India. Nevertheless, Boucher expresses his disappointment with CSA, feeling that they could have arranged the schedules of both events to facilitate the participation of the top players.
Speaking exclusively with SportsBoom.com, Boucher said “I’ll be honest with you. I am extremely disappointed. It’s got nothing to do with the players. You can’t blame the players that have been selected or the players that are not going. I think the scheduling needs to be really looked at by CSA, I don’t think it’s acceptable.”
Boucher questions the CSA for what he sees as unacceptable scheduling, especially comparing it to the prioritization of Test cricket by other major cricketing nations. Boucher suggests that CSA needs to re-evaluate its scheduling practices.
Considering that the SA20 has a specific window in the first week of January and is running for the second year, the CSA could have discussed with New Zealand Cricket earlier to explore the possibility of scheduling the Test series in a different timeframe. Boucher expected CSA to ensure that the two best teams from each country are playing against each other in the Test series.
“If I was New Zealand cricket, I’d be quite disappointed. I understand them not wanting to pull out as well because the World Test Championship points are at stake. But I do think that we in South Africa need to sit down, have a hard look at ourselves at the scheduling and find a way to make it right”, said Boucher.
While acknowledging the financial benefits of the SA20 league that will help the South Africa board and cricket in the long run, Boucher stressed on the need for a balance that doesn’t compromise the Test series against formidable teams like New Zealand.
“SA20 is good for the public watching. It is very well supported, but we can’t have that in place of Test series against a very, very strong New Zealand team away from home. So as a former player, and I know I’m not alone, there’re probably a lot of guys who would probably speak about it as passionately as me as well”, emphasized Boucher.
While emphasizing the importance of Test cricket as the truest format, he suggests that, in the future, it might be the one-day format that has to make concessions due to the dominance of T20 cricket.
“I think something’s going to give and it might be one day a cricket that’s going to have to give way at some stage. Because of the success of the 2023 World Cup. I don’t think it’s going to happen now, but definitely in the future”, said Boucher.
Despite the current coexistence of all three formats, Boucher predicts the overwhelming financial backing and popularity of T20 leagues as a potential threat to the sustainability of Test cricket.
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