Grave confident South Africa tour of West Indies still on

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave said plans are still in place to host South Africa despite Cricket South Africa (CSA) facing an intervention from South Africa’s sport minister Nathi Mthethwa which may affect the tour.

A cricinfo article on Sunday said, “Cricket South Africa (CSA) will face intervention from the country's sports minister Nathi Mthethwa after failing to agree on a Memorandum of Incorporation that will set out the blueprint for a majority independent board. Mthethwa will use the National Sports and Recreation Act to step in, which gives him the right to – amongst other things – withdraw funding and no longer officially recognise CSA as the governing body of cricket.”

South Africa are next in line to tour the Caribbean following Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in March and April, but the latest news in South Africa has created some uncertainty.

The cricinfo article said the South African national teams will not be able to officially represent the country.

“…CSA would not (no) longer legally be able to run cricket in this country and the national men's, women's and age-group teams will not be allowed to wear the Protea badge or claim to represent South Africa in international competition.”

CWI has not confirmed the dates for the South Africa tour of the Caribbean, but the cricinfo article said South Africa will tour in June.

In a WhatsApp message to Newsday, Grave seemed optimistic that the series would proceed.

He said, “We are having regular meetings (with CSA). We expect them to tour and everyone at CWI and CSA is working on that basis.”

Newsday was reliably informed from a TT Cricket Board official that all matches in the South Africa-West Indies series will be held in Trinidad. CWI is making an effort to reduce the travelling done by players. All the matches in the Sri Lanka tour of West Indies were played in Antigua. The three-match T20 series was played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium hosted the three-match One Day International series and the two-match Test series.

Australia and Pakistan are also expected to tour the Caribbean in 2021.