The incident took place on an off-day at a nature reserve in Kimberley

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2020Jake Fraser-McGurk will not take any further part at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and return home instead as a precautionary measure after being scratched on the face by a monkey at a nature reserve while on a team outing in Kimberley.Australia’s dreams of winning the title for a fourth time ended on Tuesday after they went down to India, and Fraser-McGurk had a particularly forgettable time of it, run-out first ball – without facing a ball – in Australia’s unsuccessful chase of 234.The incident at the nature park took place when the team took a break following their last-ball win over England on January 23, and after consultation with medical staff and family members, “it was deemed necessary for Fraser-McGurk to return to Australia for precautionary treatment within seven days of the accident”, a Cricket Australia statement said, adding that “Australia will consider calling in a replacement for Fraser-McGurk for the final two matches of the tournament”.Alex Kountouris, the CA sports science and sports medicine manager, was confident Fraser-McGurk would not suffer any ongoing issues after treatment. “We want to make sure that Jake doesn’t have any ongoing medical concerns as a result of the incident, so we have taken the best course of action,” he said. “This involves the player returning to Australia for the treatment required within the recommended seven days of the incident taking place.”We expect Jake will be available for selection shortly after he has completed the treatment.”Seventeen-year-old Fraser-McGurk, who made his first-class debut for Victoria in November last year, said “You never like to be leaving the boys with the tournament still in progress. But I’m confident we have the team to get the job done in the final two matches.”I guess it serves me right for getting too close to the animal enclosure. That’s a lesson learned. I look forward to completing the treatment and getting back on the field as soon as possible.”

With Kolpak deals set to be nullified at the end of the year, South Africa could have many new (old) players to choose from

Firdose Moonda06-Feb-2020

Those we’d pick, just like that

Kyle AbbottIt’s a no-brainer – given his 182 wickets in three seasons in the Championship at an average of 18.62, the retirement of Vernon Philander and the current bowling stocks – that Abbott would walk his way back into the national team in all formats. South Africa have quick bowlers in Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi but need someone with the skill to move the ball at will. Abbott can do that, through the air and off the seam, and his experience would be a welcome addition to an outfit in transition.Kyle Abbott appeals for a wicket•Getty Images

Duanne OlivierWith Nortje doing the job Olivier did in his breakthrough summer, it may not be as easy for Olivier to saunter back into the side but he would definitely cause a healthy selection dilemma. Olivier’s nous for striking regularly, his pace and the bounce he generates are reminiscent of the role Morne Morkel (another Kolpak, but at 35, we’ll leave him be) played and though Olivier may not be able to displace Nortje immediately, he would provide more-than-handy back-up and allow for workload rotation.Duanne Olivier takes a return catch•Getty Images

The ones we’d grudgingly welcome back

Simon HarmerHaving argued with many prominent figures in the current system (Ashwell Prince is the latest – again), and called himself the best offspinner in the world (what say you to that, R Ashwin or Nathon Lyon?) Simon Harmer is not everybody’s cup of tea, but his 212 wickets at 20.25 in three county summers simply cannot be ignored. South Africa tend to anoint only one spinner per generation and this time it’s Keshav Maharaj, who could use someone of real quality nipping at his heels. Harmer initially left with the intention to improve and come back, so now that he has done the former, South Africans may not be opposed to him trying out the latter.Simon Harmer completed a tenth Championship five-for of the season•Getty Images

Rilee RossouwThat’s Rilee with one l, just so we’re clear. Like Harmer, Rossouw rubbed some people (most notably Russell Domingo, whose name Rossouw spelt with only one l in a goodbye email to his then-national coach) up the wrong way but his precocious talent could come in handy at a time when South Africa need more free-flowing batsmen. Rossouw was being primed to step into the gap left by AB de Villiers, who may yet return for the T20 World Cup but can’t lengthen his comeback forever, and although he seems a limited-overs shoe-in, his early red-ball career suggests he may also be a contender in the longer format.Rilee Rossouw reaches his century•Getty Images

The one who would strengthen the domestic game

Dane VilasWhile it was difficult to choose just one of the former domestic veterans – which include Heino Kuhn, Farhaan Behardien, David Wiese and Hardus Viljoen – to strengthen a system desperate for old hands, Vilas, the captain of the inaugural Mzansi Super League champions, the Jozi Stars, and a son of the Johannesburg soil, stands out. Not only does he have consistent batting form over several seasons but Vilas has the personality for mentorship. This may be a tough one to swing though, because Vilas has planted roots in the UK and is building a home there, but with family still heavily involved in the game in South Africa – his mother Anne has had a long-term relationship with the Gauteng Cricket Board and in sports equipment – perhaps he could be persuaded.Dane Vilas leads a team talk during the Vitality Blast•Getty Images

The ones who can coach

Hashim AmlaHis reluctance to captain does not mean Hashim Amla has a similar feeling about coaching as roles with the Cape Town Blitz and now, the Peshawar Zalmi, prove. Amla’s ability to inspire is a must in the current South African set-up, which would also benefit from his level-headed and thoughtful approach to his game. No-one begrudges recent retirees their late-career Kolpak cash-ins but in Cricket South Africa’s new push to involve former players, securing Amla’s involvement would be a major coup.Hashim Amla at a training session during the World Cup•Getty Images

Vernon PhilanderThe same would apply to Vernon Philander, who called time on his career last month, and has already been spoken about by acting director of cricket Graeme Smith as someone CSA need to find a role for in the set-up. While the current national bowling coach, Charl Langeveldt, has done a good job in upskilling the likes of Lungi Ngidi (for whom slower balls and cutters are now a regular feature of his game), there needs to be someone who can work with aspirant internationals and Philander would be a perfect candidate.Vernon Philander played five games as an overseas player for Somerset in 2012•Getty Images

Boris Johnson confirmed the UK government is “considering” banning sporting fixtures on Thursday

Matt Roller12-Mar-2020England’s Test series in Sri Lanka has been cancelled due to the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic and their home series against West Indies in June – as well as the T20 Blast – is under threat, with both events scheduled for a period that the UK government has identified as the likely peak of the virus in the country.Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed at a press conference on Thursday afternoon that sporting fixtures will not be banned with immediate effect, but said that such a move is under consideration, which could wreak havoc with the English cricketing summer.England confirmed the series in Sri Lanka had been postponed on Friday, walking off the field on the second day of their tour match against a Board President’s XI moments after the decision was announced.”Due to the Covid-19 pandemic worsening globally, and after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have today made the decision to return our players to the UK and postpone the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and England,” a statement read.”At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are completely unprecedented times, and decisions like this go beyond cricket.”We would like to thank our colleagues at Sri Lanka Cricket for their outstanding support and assistance throughout this situation. We look forward to returning to Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfil this important Test series.”The global sporting calendar has already been thrown into chaos by the spread of the virus, with hundreds of events postponed, cancelled, or played behind closed doors. In England, four counties have cancelled their pre-season tours overseas, while at least two more are expected to return home early.ALSO READ: Newsfile – ICC Board to hold March meeting via conference callSir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, said during the Prime Minister’s press conference that the peak is “10-14 weeks away, maybe slightly longer”, leaving the English cricket season in a nightmare situation which could result in a huge number of fixtures cancelled or played behind closed doors.England are scheduled to play three Tests against West Indies, with the series starting at The Oval on June 4. That date is currently 12 weeks away, in the middle of the expected peak period. The T20 Blast is scheduled to start on May 28, with the group stage running until July 12.”We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures,” Mr Johnson said, describing the virus as “the biggest public health crisis in a generation”.”The scientific advice, as we’ve said over the last couple of weeks, is that banning such events will have little effect on the spread,” he said.”But there is also the issue of the burden that such events can place on public services, so we’re discussing these issues with colleagues in all parts of the United Kingdom. We’ll have more to say shortly about further action in that respect. At all stages we have been guided by the science, and we will do the right thing at the right time.”The cancellation of a whole home Test series would be a significant financial blow for the ECB, while the T20 Blast generates a major proportion of most counties’ income. It is possible that the tournament could be pushed back further in the summer – possibly at the expense of the final rounds of County Championship fixtures – but there is precious little room in the schedule for change.More immediately, the County Championship is scheduled to start on April 12. While crowds are typically relatively low, they regularly exceed 2000 at certain grounds, and the main demographic of match-going fans is elderly, increasing their vulnerability to the virus.It is possible that games – almost all of which are streamed for free online – could be played behind closed doors, and the ECB is in close contact with government to discuss its options.Sir Patrick explained that the nature of the virus means that a blanket ban on sporting fixtures is unlikely to have a major impact on its spread. “On average one person infects two or three others,” he said. “You therefore have a very low probability of infecting a large number of people in a stadium, or a rather higher probability of infecting people very close to you.”And that means that most of the transmission tends to take place actually with friends and colleagues in close environments, not in the big environments. So, it is true, of course that any cancellation can have some effect.”But if you get a displacement activity where you end up with everyone congregating somewhere else, you may actually have perversely an increased risk, particularly in an indoors environment.”

Club reports strong financial position in run-in to Covid-19 outbreak

George Dobell19-May-2020Lancashire have reported record financial returns in the history of a first-class county for 2019.Buoyed by a raft of popular international fixtures including an Ashes Test and a World Cup match between India and Pakistan, Lancashire reported earnings before interest, taxes depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of £7.6 million; a record figure for a county. That represents a tenfold increase since 2015. They club also reported turnover of £34 million and a net profit of £5 million. Both are club records.While those returns do not, perhaps, tell the entire story – Surrey, for example, do not report EBITDA – they do tell a tale of a club that were, before the Covid-19 crisis, enjoying a remarkable boom off the pitch at least.Following the £60 million redevelopment of Emirates Old Trafford, the club made more than £17.5 million from its international fixtures and a further £8.4 million from its conference and events activity. The Hilton Hotel, situated inside the ground, operated by the club and including 95 pitch-facing rooms, saw its average occupancy grow to 78 percent in only its second year of trading.Lancashire also oversaw an increase in Vitality Blast attendances – ticket sales were up 34 percent compared to 2018 – which included a sold-out Roses match for the sixth year in succession. They also broke their own record attendance for non-Roses matches three times in the campaign.”To generate in excess of £30 million of non-broadcast revenues is truly remarkable and, to put it in perspective, better than some Premier League Clubs,” Lancashire Chief Executive, Daniel Gidney, said. “These results are a record for published accounts, excluding minority interests and legacies, for any first-class county and make this a proud day for the Red Rose. 2019 was a landmark year for the club when years of investment in talent and the infrastructure of Emirates Old Trafford was rewarded and truly reflected in our financial results.”During the year, Lancashire also arranged new long-term banking facilities with Metro Bank. In doing so, they consolidated all their existing debt, significantly extending the repayment profile and reducing the annual interest burden.For the first time since 2010 – before the stadium re-development – Lancashire returned to a positive reserves balance of £1.7 million. The club also reduced its net current liabilities position in the year from £8.7 million to £489,008.While such figures are sure to take a huge dent in 2020, the strong returns in 2019 leave Lancashire better placed than many to weather the storm.”Clearly, these are now tough times as the Club navigates its way through the current COVID-19 pandemic, but these results at least help relieve that financial burden,” Gidney continued. “Our priority now is to work with our stakeholders to find a way for cricket to return as quickly as it is safe to do so. This will help us protect future revenues as much as possible and allow us to continue to invest in our infrastructure for the benefit of our members and supporters.”

Former ODI captain asks his successor to take the young match-winners in his team along with him on the ride

Mohammad Isam05-May-2020Mashrafe Mortaza has asked Tamim Iqbal to trust his “gut feeling” when he leads Bangladesh out to the field as their new ODI captain, but also told his junior colleague to be patient when it comes to dealing with the noise around the team.”You will hear a lot of advice as a captain – ‘do this, do that’; but as long as you listen to your heart, you will be able to sleep at night even if you lose,” Mashrafe told Tamim during a conversation on Facebook. “You will be unhappy if you had to do what other people told you. I have always believed in this.”I won’t tell you how to do your captaincy, but you should do what your heart desires. Of course, you will have Shakib [Al Hasan], Mushfiq [Rahim] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad around you, but if you listen to your gut feeling, you will be more successful.”ALSO READ: Life in the time of Mashrafe, by Tamim and MahmudullahMashrafe, who resigned from the ODI captaincy in February, asked Tamim to back the younger players like Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Mustafizur Rahman to move forward.”Bangladesh’s reality is a little different. You have to be patient. If you can make the players understand that you will do everything you can for them, they will give the best for you,” Mashrafe said. “As long as I am confident in your ability, it doesn’t matter what others are saying. You have match-winners in Soumya, Liton and Mustafiz, so if something is being said about them, you have to handle it.”Everyone had a lot to say about Shakib batting at No. 3 in the [2019 50-over] World Cup. Shakib was confident that he could handle the pressure. My point of view was that if he failed in two matches, nobody would be more concerned than Shakib. He knows how to handle the pressure. I backed him fully because I felt he would have maximum impact at No. 3.”Shakib had a standout tournament, hitting 606 runs in eight innings, with two hundreds and five fifties, scoring at an average of 86.57 and a strike rate of 96.03. Bangladesh, however, couldn’t get into the final four.As such, while Tamim has been a senior player in the Bangladesh side for long, he has been a bit of a reluctant captain, taking charge only in one Test and three ODIs over the years. But Mashrafe suggested that Tamim’s leadership role off the field would be useful for him in his new position.”I never really supported your view of being reluctant about captaincy. Why wouldn’t you be the captain? You already have leadership qualities,” Mashrafe said. “The BCB will give you the captaincy for a long time, but that’s up to them. You have to accept it properly.”You didn’t accept it properly in Sri Lanka [when he led in ODIs last July] but seeing you now, I feel you are on the right track. Bangladesh cricket will take the next step very soon.”

Teams still waiting for tournament’s Standard Operating Procedures to be finalised by the governing council

Shashank Kishore06-Aug-2020A day after a few of the IPL owners had a meeting internally to discuss the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) draft sent by the tournament’s governing council, it appears that the teams have begun activating their own protocols prior to departure to the UAE for IPL 2020.Mumbai Indians have started quarantining their Indian players in a hotel, with regular Covid-19 tests scheduled. Players who complete their quarantine will then be allowed to train at their facility in Navi Mumbai.Rajasthan Royals too plan to conduct Covid-19 tests for their players and support staff over the next two weeks, prior to their departure to Dubai. Another franchise has asked their Indian players to home quarantine – as a precaution – while simultaneously initiating Covid-19 tests.”Outdoor training is out of question still, we’re being cautious and since everything is still very uncertain with regards to SOPs, we’re awaiting a final confirmation,” a franchise source said. “We have put forward our concerns with the IPL governing council, hopefully everything will be clear this weekend so that we can start planning.”Currently the IPL has laid out a stringent week-long quarantine process, along with four Covid-19 tests for players and support staff, before they can start training in the UAE. ESPNcricinfo understands that a number of franchises have sought a reduction in this quarantine period upon entering the biosecure bubble in the UAE.While the IPL schedule hasn’t been announced yet, Sunrisers Hyderabad, for example, could potentially lose David Warner and Jonny Bairstow for the first two matches if they are to undergo the mandatory seven-day quarantine. Royal Challengers could miss Aaron Finch and Moeen Ali for similar reasons.All the four players would likely be arriving in the UAE from the United Kingdom following the conclusion of the T20I series between England and Australia on September 15, four days prior to the start of the IPL season.Meanwhile, the IPL has also put in place stringent measures for ad shoots and promotional activities involving players. Players are required to have a 10-day gap between their shoots and their departure to the UAE.The shoots can only be scheduled at ballrooms of a five-star hotel, in order to maintain social distancing norms, with a strict cap of five crew members allowed at the location of the shoot with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to prevent any physical contact.The franchises are expected to meet the IPL governing council on Friday through video conference, while awaiting the finalised SOPs, which has delayed the departure of a number of teams.Chennai Super Kings, for example, were looking at arriving in the UAE in the second week of August. That move stands cancelled because of the absence of a formal SOP. However, they have sent out a note to their Indian players to start arriving in Chennai once the IPL circulates the SOP.Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders are looking at having Abu Dhabi as their base from August 21 or 22, with the overseas contingent of Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell joining the team from the Caribbean after their CPL commitments end by September 10.Kings XI Punjab too are looking at assembling their Indian squad together, before flying out to the UAE.

Kia Oval crowd sees Hampshire restricted to below-par total on rain-affected night

ECB Reporters Network03-Sep-2020Surrey 81 for 1 (Jacks 45*) beat Hampshire 77 for 5 (Moriaty 2-12) by nine wickets (DLS method)County cricket’s first live attendance of the Covid-shortened season saw Hashim Amla and Will Jacks steer Surrey to a nine-wicket victory against Hampshire in a Vitality Blast south group match affected by rain.It was Surrey’s first win of the summer, following four Bob Willis Trophy defeats plus a tie, a no-result and a defeat from their opening three Blast fixtures, and they were always in charge once Gareth Batty had won the toss and opted to field.Chasing 80 on Duckworth Lewis Stern, after Hampshire’s innings was delayed and then disrupted by the weather, Amla and Jacks put on 64 in 8.1 overs to ensure there would be no alarms as they chased down a total that always looked inadequate.It took until the fourth ball of the final over, though, for Jacks to finish off Hampshire when, after six runs were still required from the last six balls, bowled by Ryan Stevenson, he top-edged a pull for his fifth four to reach 45 not out from 31 balls. Laurie Evans was 4 not out at the other end.Former South Africa batsman Amla took an immediate liking to Pakistan’s 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, making his Hampshire debut by conceding 30 from his three overs, with fours over extra cover and a lovely on-drive.Jacks, meanwhile, twice lofted Afridi high over extra cover for boundaries and he also swept Mason Crane’s legspin for four before Amla thin-edged an attempted reverse sweep at Crane to keeper Lewis McManus to go for a 27-ball 29.Some much-needed late hitting from Sam Northeast and James Fuller had earlier hauled Hampshire to 77 for 5 from their eventual 11 overs. Northeast made a run-a-ball 31 before being caught at long-on in the final over, while Fuller smashed a flat six over square leg off an excellent Gus Atkinson bouncer with a flashing blade to finish 17 not out.Jamie Overton’s only over, on his debut for Surrey on loan ahead of his permanent move from Somerset this winter, went for 12 runs as Northeast cut and forced successive fours in the innings’ penultimate over.Surrey were permitted to allow 2500 members into the Kia Oval, as part of the government’s ongoing process of getting live crowds back to sporting events, but those spectators initially found themselves frustrated rather than feeling fortunate as bad weather hit south London.A long burst of applause rang around the ground, however, when Batty led out the Surrey team to begin a match initially reduced to 17 overs-per-side, following an hour’s delay to the original start time of 6.30pm.But, after just three overs, more rain arrived to drive the players off with Hampshire 21 for 1. Reece Topley had bowled two tidy overs for ten runs but it was Jacks who grabbed the first wicket to fall, and his first in T20 cricket, when he turned an off break to have Tom Alsop stumped for 1 attempting a big hit from down the pitch.On the resumption, at 8.25pm, slow left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty bowled Felix Organ for 9 and then, in his second over, was delighted to see Rory Burns slide around the deep square leg ropes to hold a tremendous catch when Joe Weatherley swept powerfully.Weatherley had hit the first boundary of the innings in the previous over, the fifth, with a sweep at Batty’s offspin, but it was Surrey’s 42-year-old captain who then reduced Hampshire to 41 for 4 by having McManus held at point for 2 from a reverse sweep. Moriarty ended with the impressive figures of 2 for 12 from three overs.The only crowds previously allowed into county grounds this summer before tonight were at the Kia Oval and Edgbaston for two pre-season friendly contests in late July between, respectively, Surrey and Middlesex and Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Lanning achieves No. 1 ODI position for fifth time, spinner Jess Jonassen retains the bowlers’ top spot

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2020Australia captain Meg Lanning vaulted to No. 1 in the ICC rankings for women’s ODI batters for a fifth time on the back of her 163-run tally in her side’s 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand that culminated in a record-equalling 21st ODI win in a row. Left-hand batter Rachael Haynes, the Player of the Series, advanced to a career-best 13th position while left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen retained the top spot in the bowlers’ list.Lanning amassed 163 runs in the first two ODIs, including a series-clinching Player-of-the-Match unbeaten 101 in the second game, before a hamstring strain ruled her out of the third and final fixture on Wednesday. Her move up to No. 1 in the ODI batters’ rankings, displacing West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor, marks her return to the top spot for the first time since October 2018.ALSO READ: Lanning interview – ‘I want to be the best in the world’In an international career nearing its tenth year, Lanning, 28, has been the No. 1-ranked ODI batter for a total of 902 days since the first time she achieved the feat in November 2014. Last week she rose one spot to No. 5 on the T20I batters’ rankings after finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in Australia’s 2-1 series win against New Zealand.Haynes, who led Australia in the final ODI and opened for the hosts, gained seven places after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the series with 222 runs, compiled through knocks of 44, 82 and 96.ALSO READ: Coach Mott praises ‘drummer in the band’ Haynes after record winJonassen, who topped the ODI bowlers’ rankings for the first time in July 2017, took eight wickets in the series, including 4 for 36 in the second ODI. She has been No. 1 for 599 days spread over six spells, including the ongoing streak that began in October last year.Notable gains made by other bowlers include Australia spinners Georgia Wareham (up from 35th to 24th) and New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Amelia Kerr (up from 18th to 13th) along with pace bowler Rosemary Mair (up 14 places to 49th).Amy Satterthwaite, the New Zealand top-order batter, re-entered the ODI rankings in fifth position after scoring 111 runs in the series, while Suzie Bates exited the top 10 after a shoulder injury sidelined her for the second and third ODIs.Following the T20I rankings update, Satterthwaite, for whom the New Zealand tour marked a return to international cricket post-childbirth, had re-entered the rankings in 35th position after finishing as New Zealand’s leading run-scorer in the three-match T20I series with a 69-run tally.Australia and New Zealand retained their first and fifth positions respectively in the ODI team rankings.

CSA will also send a security delegation to Pakistan to assess the feasibility of a tour in early 2021

Firdose Moonda27-Oct-2020A full summer schedule has been announced for South Africa’s men’s team. They will host England, Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan in biosecure bubbles between November 2020 and April 2021, with the possibility of traveling to Pakistan in early 2021. The home season will include five home Tests, six ODIs, and six T20Is, while CSA is in negotiation to play Tests and T20Is in Pakistan. All matches and training sessions will take place behind closed doors.After confirming the England series last week, CSA has announced that Sri Lanka will visit over the festive period for two Tests on the Highveld. SuperSport Park, which hosted England for the Boxing Day Test last year and Pakistan the year before, has been retained as the venue for this fixture, while the new Wanderers Stadium will host the New Year’s Test for the first time. The New Year’s Test has only been played in Johannesburg three times previously, at the old Wanderers stadium, but not for more than a 100 years, with the last instance being 1914. Newlands in Cape Town misses out on what is regarded as the most iconic fixture in the South African cricket calendar.South Africa are set for a packed 2020-21 home summer•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

South Africa hope to spend the rest of January 2021 in Pakistan but a call on the feasibility of that tour will be made after a security team completes a risk assessment. A CSA delegation will depart for Pakistan this weekend. ESPNcricinfo understands that South Africa could play two Tests and a T20I series in Pakistan.The team will then return home to take on Australia in three Tests, with venues yet to be announced, for the first time since the sandpapergate scandal of 2018. Pakistan round out the summer with three ODIs and three T20Is in April.The PCB has also confirmed that this tour will take place.”The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed the men’s national team will tour South Africa in April 2021 for three One-Day Internationals, which will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, and as many T20 Internationals,” the PCB said in a statement on Tuesday. “Pakistan has now agreed to fulfil its Future Tours Programme (FTP) commitment prior to visiting Zimbabwe for two Tests and three T20Is. The schedule of both the series will be announced in due course.”The up-country venues have been chosen for the Sri Lanka series for two reasons: most obviously that CSA can create a bubble between Centurion and Johannesburg, with teams likely to stay in Sandton, but also for cricketing purposes. It will suit South Africa to play Sri Lanka on the two fastest surfaces in the county, especially after losing the last home series 2-0 against them on slower surfaces on the coast. South Africa have not beaten Sri Lanka in a Test series since the 2016-17 summer, losing to them in 2018 in Sri Lanka and in 2018-19 at home. All those matches were played under the captaincy of Faf du Plessis, who stood down in January, which means the upcoming Sri Lanka series will be the first under a new captain, who has yet to be named, although an announcement is imminent. New convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang begins in the job on Monday, which is also when the first round of domestic first-class matches begins, which should provide insight into red-ball form.Faf du Plessis oversaw a 2-0 series defeat at home against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

“It is an absolute pleasure to deliver more good news for our cricket-loving fans to consume, following last week’s confirmed tour against England and domestic season launch,” Kugandrie Govender, CSA’s acting CEO, said. “The Covid-19 pandemic predictably forced many changes to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) and the traditional sequencing of scheduling matches in South Africa this season. This is why I am particularly proud of today’s announcement. It comes as a result of many hours of dedication, negotiation and hard work by individuals behind the scenes to ensure that our fans have an exciting line-up of cricket to look forward to throughout the summer.”The announcement of the fixtures comes on the same day when CSA is due to present South Africa’s sports minister, Nathi Mthethwa, with reasons to deter him from intervening in its affairs. Mthethwa was forced to announce his intention to look into CSA after the body refused to comply with the instructions of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), which demanded that the CSA Board and executive temporarily stand down while SASCOC conducts an investigation into CSA. SASCOC also wanted unrestricted access to the forensic report that CSA used to fire former CEO Thabang Moroe.CSA refused on both counts, but its entire board has since resigned. The executive remains in place and it is expected that an interim committee will be put in place in lieu of a board until December’s AGM. For now, those behind-the-scenes activities do not seem to be affecting matters on the field, albeit CSA has hit financially tough times.The organisation is forecasting a loss for the 2019-2022 cycle but no pay cuts have taken place. The South Africa men’s team has been out of action since March, when their white-ball tour of India was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. They had tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies and a home T20I series against India postponed. The women’s team, whose fixtures will be announced in the coming weeks, has not played since the T20 World Cup. Their home series against Australia and trips to the West Indies and England could not go ahead.South Africa remains in lockdown, albeit it at the most lenient stage (1 of 5), and most activity has resumed. The country’s borders are open, with only leisure travellers from high-risk countries not allowed in.

It is looking as though Australia will have an unchanged side for the second Test

Andrew McGlashan and Daniel Brettig22-Dec-20202:35

If David Warner is fit, who makes way for him?

David Warner is unlikely to be fit for the Boxing Day Test which means the decision on who will make way when he returns is set to be delayed until the third game of the series in the New Year.Warner, who was swiftly moved to Melbourne earlier this week due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney, has been out of action since injuring his groin in the second ODI at the SCG last month and despite an extensive rehabilitation programme, which has including using an oxygen chamber, the time frame looks too tight for him to be available.In Warner’s absence – and that of Will Pucovski who is also set to miss the second Test as he continues his recovery from concussion – Joe Burns and Matthew Wade formed a new opening partnership. Burns was coming off the back of a horrid run of form while Wade had never done the job previously in first-class cricket, but they added 70 in the second innings after repelling the new ball for 14 overs in the first.Related

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• Smith not Australia's only captaincy candidate – Eddings

Speaking earlier this week, Warner was retaining hope that he would be able to get ready for the second Test.”Hopefully I can get up and about and start running at a higher tempo,” he told SEN Radio. “I managed to get up to 14 kilometres an hour so I’ve got to work towards a max of 26 to 30 kilometres an hour by next week.”If I can run between wickets and move laterally and do some ground fielding by the end of next week, I should be ready to go. Fingers are crossed.”When Warner has recovered, the selectors will have to make a call on who makes way for his return. Allrounder Cameron Green was handed a debut in Adelaide and is set to retain his place for Melbourne, but depending on the workloads for the frontline quicks – and perhaps the eventual location of the third Test which remains in doubt due to the Covid-19 situation in Sydney – it could be that the side reverts to the traditional six frontline batsmen with Wade returning to the middle order.Time appears to be against David Warner in the race for Boxing Day•Getty Images

If the selectors did want to retain Green then one of the batsmen would have to make way and that conversation would likely revolve around Wade and Travis Head.For a brief moment ahead of the first Test, it appeared Australia may have to consider another major loss to their batting order when Steven Smith tweaked his back in warm-ups. He was unable to have his traditional net two days out from the game but recovered in time to take his place, although he made minimal contributions with 1 off 29 balls in the first innings before a brief appearance in the chase.It was the first time in six years that Smith had had a back problem and he said there was still a bit of stiffness following the game but remained confident it wouldn’t hamper him ahead of the second Test.”Initially when I did it I did have some fears,” he said. “I’ve had a few back issues in the past and they are generally two or three day things where I do a lot of physio. It’s about getting the physio to push on my back and get that extension and get that range back. It’s still a bit stiff but it didn’t hamper me too much throughout the game, it was all good. It’s something that I need to manage when it goes. I probably haven’t had an episode since 2014 so hopefully they can continue to be six years apart if they come.”It’s just if I sit down for too long, really. If I’m up and about and moving around I’m pretty good, so I might be a bit stiff after this press conference. If I’m moving around or laying down I’m good. But I’m not worried about it, think everything will be fine and will be good to go.”