South Africa cricket tour tentatively set for Trinidad

THE entire South Africa tour of the West Indies is tentatively scheduled to be played in Trinidad.

It will include two Test matches and five T20 matches.

It was initially reported that Trinidad would host matches when Pakistan visits the Caribbean later this year.

The option of playing South Africa in Trinidad was discussed at the Cricket West Indies (CWI) annual general meeting on Sunday.

CWI has tried to limit players' travelling during the covid19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka and West Indies faced off in three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals and two Test matches from early March to early April. All those matches were played in Antigua at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Matches during the South Africa series may be played at the Queen’s Park Oval and at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

An anonymous source, who works with the TT Cricket Board (TTCB), told Newsday, “The dates (of the South Africa series) were not confirmed. It is tentatively going to start early June and it is going to be all here of course…we (TT) were supposed to initially get Pakistan (matches) now we are getting South Africa (matches).”

The South Africa tour will include a four-day practice match.

The source said, “All of this I would say is 80 per cent confirmed, but it still has to get ratification by South Africa.”

South Africa’s tour of the Caribbean will continue a hectic period for West Indies at home. After South Africa visits the Caribbean, Australia and Pakistan are scheduled to travel to the region.

The International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup will be held in the Caribbean in early 2022.

President of the TTCB Azim Bassarath told Newsday recently that the board is working alongside the Sport Company of TT in an effort to bid to host matches.