Australia’s cricket tour of South Africa called off; shot at World Test Championship final killed off

[TNAmarkFromIndia]

Australia’s tour of South Africa has been sensationally postponed, leaving Tim Paine’s team to face the agony of all but certainly missing the inaugural World Test Championship final.

 

That nightmare only worsens because Australia may be left to rue the extraordinary reality that being docked points for a slow over rate on Boxing Day has ended up being the difference between securing a shot at history.

 

As revealed exclusively by News Corp, Cricket Australia received key medical advice that the team should not tour, and on Tuesday night it was officially confirmed that the three-Test series due to start on March 3 will not go ahead.

 

Cricket Australia desperately wanted to tour South Africa and help out the embattled cricket nation, but it could not be saved in a stunning blow to world cricket and a potential financial catastrophe for the once proud Proteas.

 

South Africa is being gripped by a mutant strain of the virus and the country currently has a positivity rate with its testing of a staggering 10 per cent, and Cricket Australia’s medical experts advised the tour was unsafe, with interim CEO Nick Hockley informing his counterparts CA had no other choice but to pull out.

 

“Due to the public health situation in South Africa, which includes a second wave and new variant of the virus, and following extensive due diligence with medical experts, it has become clear that traveling from Australia to South Africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community,” said Hockley.

 

“We acknowledge the significant amount of work by CSA in planning for the tour, during which we made it clear that CA was prepared to take on additional cost and effort to make the series happen.

 

“This decision has not been made lightly and we are extremely disappointed, especially given the importance of continuing international cricket at this time, our valued relationship with CSA, and our aspirations to compete in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.

 

“However, we have been consistent since the start of the pandemic that the health and safety of our people is always our number one priority and unfortunately despite best efforts to agree a biosecurity plan, the risks are simply too great at this time.

 

“As difficult and disappointing a decision as this is, especially for Justin, Tim and the team, we have a duty of care to our people and their health and safety can’t be compromised.

“We look forward to playing the series against CSA at a date to be confirmed in due course and we send CSA and the people of South Africa our very best wishes for a successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and a return to normality soon.”

 

Abandoning the series due to medical safety concerns, instantly removes any doubt over Tim Paine captaining Australia in next summer’s Ashes.

 

Cricket Australia may also have a decision to make over whether it now shoehorns Justin Langer into coach this month’s Twenty20 tour in New Zealand instead, or simply lets him rest.

 

Selectors last week named a squad for the series, which was crucial to Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the Test Championship but Cricket Australia would not compromise on the safety of its players and staff, and could not guarantee their wellbeing on the road could be guaranteed.

 

There are no contingencies in place, meaning it appears unlikely the series could be moved to another location like Perth or the UAE in the same timeslot, hence why there are catastrophic implications on Australia making the Test Championship Final in June.

 

Australia needed to beat South Africa to achieve their two-year goal of qualifying for the inaugural showpiece.

 

But they now have to rely on the mathematics of England’s tour of India to be any chance of sneaking into a June decider against New Zealand at Lord’s.

 

Essentially, India only needs to win two Tests and draw one of the other two Tests against England to eliminate Australia — meaning the Aussies need England to be competitive, without winning by more than 2-0 themselves.

 

Despite their chastening loss at home to India — Australia would have already qualified for the Final had match referee David Boon not smashed them with a points penalty for having a slow over-rate at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.

 

Australia obliterated New Zealand last summer, yet the Black Caps have leapfrogged them into the Final in a painful reminder of how costly the Indian series has been.

 

The South African tour being shifted out of the calendar has killed off the potential for an epic rematch against India at Lord’s, but as disappointed as Australia will be, in an a funny way it might give the side a more settled feel leading into next summer’s Ashes.

 

Cricket Australia has already given Paine their strongest backing and without another Test series between now and the Ashes, the 36-year-old keeper will be locked in as leader with no risk of any speedbumps on the horizon.

 

With South Africa off, Langer may not get in front of his group again until the lead-in to October’s World Twenty20 in India, although there is now a possibility he could join the touring party headed for New Zealand next week instead — because a schedule clash between two Australian teams has been averted.

[Lone Wolf]

Goddamn kiwis would be over the moon now..  Also in hindsight that slow over rate penalty in MCG game has cost them the final I think lol. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Lone Wolf

[deepdynamo]

So it is still 2-0, 3-0 or 3-1 for India or we can now qualify even with 2-1 or 1-1?

[Majestic]

So, India need to win 2-1.

 

But if England beat India 2-1, Aussies will go to finals vs NZ

 

If England beat India 3-0 or 3-1, England will go to finals vs NZ.

[deepdynamo]

4 minutes ago, Majestic said:

So, India need to win 2-1.

 

But if England beat India 2-1, Aussies will go to finals vs NZ

 

If England beat India 3-0 or 3-1, England will go to finals vs NZ.

What if the series ends in 1-1 ?

[Serpico]

aw man. would have been a wonderful series, too bad. Can't they just vaccinate the players and coaching staff?

 

how bad is the covid situation is SA anyway? Is it worse than India?

[bahadur_billa]

16 minutes ago, deepdynamo said:

What if the series ends in 1-1 ?

India will end up on 480 points. We need 498 to qualify. 

[G_B_]

this has to be a blow for CSA finances surely?

 

I mean forget WTC. I hope CSA had insured that series. England series called off mid way and now this?

 

Much bigger issues than WTC.  If CSA is financially crippled than the health of the world game is at stake.

[Soldier]

27 minutes ago, G_B_ said:

this has to be a blow for CSA finances surely?

 

I mean forget WTC. I hope CSA had insured that series. England series called off mid way and now this?

 

Much bigger issues than WTC.  If CSA is financially crippled than the health of the world game is at stake.

Yes. I hope we tour them soon.

[nevada]

Can't they host the Saffers or play at a neutral venue like England instead? Why cancel the series? 

[Norman]

8 minutes ago, nevada said:

Can't they host the Saffers or play at a neutral venue like England instead? Why cancel the series? 

 

Yeah England in February.... That'd be great. 

 

 

 

[Sandeep99]

27 minutes ago, Soldier said:

Yes. I hope we tour them soon.

We're touring this year end

[Rightarmfast]

zor ka jhatka, dheere se lage

[sage]

Scenarios. Aus can still qualify if its a competitive series

 

[putrevus]

How is SL able to host in biobubble but SA cannot do the same.

[Lone Wolf]

This will be a big blow to SAF cricket finances.  Only a potential India series can save them & they are lucky we are touring them this December. 

[nitinbwj]

1 hour ago, Majestic said:

So, India need to win 2-1.

 

But if England beat India 2-1, Aussies will go to finals vs NZ

 

If England beat India 3-0 or 3-1, England will go to finals vs NZ.

I love your optimism but no thanks..complacency or not no way we are going to lose against a couple of batsmen and a single bowler.Their team is CRAP.

[G_B_]

27 minutes ago, sage said:

Scenarios. Aus can still qualify if its a competitive series

 

 

so come what may we need to win 2 tests and win the series.

 

 

[chewy]

Probably because Saffers imposed complete import ban on sandpaper

[G_B_]

2 hours ago, putrevus said:

How is SL able to host in biobubble but SA cannot do the same.

 

to be fair the covid variant of SA is much worse. SL has low covid prevelance.