Burea Report
Lahore: South Africa men’s cricket team to tour Pakistan for Test and T20I series in January 2021, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced today. This will be Proteas’ first tour to Pakistan in 14 years. South Africa will arrive in Karachi on 16 January and will play the first Test at the National Stadium in Karachi from 26-30 January. They will then travel to Rawalpindi where the second Test will be held from 4-8 February.
South Africa will then travel to Lahore where they will play three T20Is at Gaddafi Stadium on 11, 13 and 14 February.
South Africa will observe an isolation period upon arrival in Karachi and in the lead up to the first Test, they will hold training sessions and play intra-squad practice matches.
This will be South Africa’s first visit to Pakistan since the 2007 tour when they won the Karachi Test by 160 runs to clinch the series 1-0. The subsequent series in 2010 and 2013 were played in the United Arab Emirates.\ On the other hand, Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to travel to Pakistan for the first time in 14 years.
PCB Director International Zakir Khan has termed this news as ‘fabulous’ for Pakistan cricket and its fans as South Africa is one of the most liked cricketing sides in Pakistan. “Cricket South Africa and its players have a special bonding with Pakistan as a number of their star players visited Lahore with the ICC World XI in 2017 and have appeared in the Pakistan Super League (PSL),” Zakir said in a statement released by PCB.
“The home series against South Africa will complete the process for full resumption and restoration of international cricket in Pakistan, which started in 2015. However, the process got the real shot in the arm in the 2019-20 season when Pakistan hosted Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Marylebone Cricket Club as well as the PSL 2020,” he added.
Former South African captain and current CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith is happy on many cricketing nations touring Pakistan for greater good.
“It’s pleasing to see so many countries making a return to Pakistan – a proud, cricket-loving nation. Cricket South Africa is delighted to be counted among them,” Smith said.
“As someone who has toured the country on more than one occasion back in my playing days, I know how much passion the people of Pakistan have for the game as well as the love and support that the Proteas enjoy there as a team,” he added.
Smith thanked PCB for the hospitality they showed when CSA’s contingent toured Pakistan a few weeks ago.
“The report on their findings and recommendations gives us confidence as an organization that all of our team’s security, playing and accommodation needs will be met and that the wellbeing of the team will be the top priority. We look forward to embarking on this historical tour,” Smith concluded.
Tour itinerary
26-30 Jan – 1st Test, Karachi
4-8 Feb – 2nd Test, Rawalpindi
11 Feb – 1st T20I, Lahore
13 Feb – 2nd T20I, Lahore
14 Feb – 3rd T20I, Lahore
