Sowetan

Tardiness puts pressure on CSA

Indian board drags its feet on summer tour dates

- By Khanyiso Tshwaku

Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) tardiness in terms of confirming the dates for their summer tour is putting CSA under pressure from a logistical perspectiv­e.

With the T20 Global League South Africa launched on Wednesday and the final set to take place on December 16‚ that leaves a 10-day window between the final and the slated first day of the annual Boxing Day test that will now herald the start of South Africa’s test season.

Cricket Australia have already confirmed their dates for their four-test series in March and April next year. The BCCI has been going through administra­tive upheaval to the point where there has been an administra­tive panel appointed by the Indian Supreme Court to run the richest cricket organisati­on in the world.

“I know there won’t be [a] problem in terms of confirming the dates, but it may not leave us with enough time to do the work we need to do. It must be remembered that it’s a big series and there is lot we need to do in terms of leveraging around the series and informing our people‚” Nenzani said.

“The scheduling doesn’t impact on the series because the time we will be having the tournament is when we normally hold our T20 series and for the next subsistenc­e of the current Future Tours Programme agreement‚ we are not committed to tours at that time of the year.”

Nenzani also hopes there will be Indian player representa­tion at the tournament even though the BCCI forbids its players from taking part in outside competitio­ns.

SA’s favourable time zone could also work in its favour‚ with the example being the 2009 IPL which was well received in India. –

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