Cricket: South Africa will send weakened squad to face Black Caps

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada celebrates a wicket against the Black Caps. Photo / Photosport

South Africa will send a weakened squad to New Zealand for next year’s test series against the Black Caps with the two matches clashing with their own domestic Twenty20 competition.

The two-test series in February is one of the drawcard events of the New Zealand Cricket home summer schedule which was released last month as the Black Caps seek to win their first-ever test series over the Proteas.

Cricinfo reports the second edition of the SA20 will run from January 10 to February 10 next year, while the tour to New Zealand begins with a warm-up match on January 29. The test series begins with the first test on February 4 at the Bay Oval, with the second test taking place in Hamilton nine days later.

Cricket South Africa has confirmed the SA20 league will be the priority for its centrally contracted-players.

The likes of Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen are all contracted to SA20 franchises, with the league’s auction to take place next month.

“Protea players in the SA20 will not be going to New Zealand and that is a directive from CSA,” Pholetsi Moseki, the CSA CEO, told ESPNcricinfo.

“But our plans are on track. The auction will be the next milestone and Shukri [Conrad, the Test coach] will then determine player availability for the tour.”

South African cricket commentator Neil Manthorp told The Country Sport Breakfast it shows a lack of respect for test cricket.

“It’s crushing. We laugh about the Ashes, which was supposedly signifying the death of test cricket in England, way back in the 1880s. I’m trying desperately hard to see a way that South Africa can get out of this. It is only two test matches but it’s a mess.

South Africa have test cricketers or first class cricketers all over the world. There’s a good dozen playing in New Zealand, who have pledged their allegiance to New Zealand. There’s another 20 or so playing county cricket in England who have, who have not been available for South Africa. So they, they can put together a decent team. But it’s the message, it’s the image. It’s the lack of respect for what’s always been the greatest format of the game,” Manthorpe added.

Manthorp predicted South Africa will send a possible ‘D team’ to New Zealand.

“It’s really hard to try to remain rational about it. 58 of the country’s best players, albeit most of them white ball specialists will be unavailable. They are all contractually bound to play in the SA20.

“You’re looking at, at cobbling together a team and they’ll be decent cricketers. But it’s a C or D team that will be coming out to play in the World Test Championship. I think that the longer term ramifications could be devastating,” Manthorp said.

The Black Caps have never won a test series against South Africa home or away.

Cricinfo last month reported Cricket South Africa requested to move the test series to April, which would have clashedwith the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand Cricket’s summer schedule for the Black Caps doesn’t leave much room for change with Bangladesh kicking off the home season with three ODIs and three Twenty20s at the backend of December. Pakistan then arrive on January 12 for five Twenty20s before South Africa’s tour. Four days after the second test Australia begin their tour of New Zealand with three Twenty20s and two tests.