The Proteas’ next limited overs assignment begins on Tuesday in Durban, where they face Pakistan in the first of three T20 Internationals. Those will be followed by three ODIs, which will serve as the final preparation ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, the future of that tournament will be discussed at yet another special meeting of the ICC executive on Saturday. The announcement of the tournament’s schedule was delayed because after the Board of Control for Cricket in India said that country’s government would not give permission for the India team to travel to Pakistan.
The two subcontinent powerhouses, have been locked in an endless series of diplomatic disputes. The teams haven’t faced each other in a bilateral series in more than a decade, and their only matches now occur at ICC events.
However Pakistan, which has requested India provides reasons for its decision, have stood firm that they won’t be asking for the tournament to be moved. According to reports in that country, they have agreed to use a ‘hybrid’ hosting model in order for the tournament to go ahead.
That would mean India would play their matches in Dubai, but Pakistan have said that in turn, they will also not be playing ICC matches in India, when tournaments are held in that country in the next few years.