England to tour South Africa for ODI and T-20 series
Thursday, 22 October 2020 (17:44 IST)
London:England on Wednesday confirmed that they will travel to South Africa to play ODI and T20I series, beginning in Cape Town on November 27.
The three-match ODI series will be played as part of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League, which England currently top with 30 points from six games. This series will be South Africa's first in the tournament, which forms the first part of the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
Eoin Morgan's squad, which will be named in early November, will head out on a chartered flight on November 16, training at Western Province Cricket Club ahead of the three T20Is.
During this time they expect to play three intra-squad practice matches - two T20s and one 50-over game.
ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison in a statement thanked Cricket South Africa (CSA) for making the tour possible, as well as making clear that he expects the series to be highly entertaining affairs.
"I would like to personally thank Cricket South Africa for their efforts in ensuring this tour goes ahead and their diligent work to create an environment that is safe for our players and staff," Harrison said.
"They are working tirelessly to pull together a bio-secure plan in Cape Town and Paarl. We owe it to the sport that we do everything we can to keep international competition progressing during this pandemic.
"Series against the Proteas are always exciting and intense. We saw that earlier this year in South Africa and we can expect the same this time around," he added.
CSA Acting Chief Executive Kugandrie Govender was also full of anticipation for the series, suggesting that the chance to topple the reigning Cricket World Cup champions offered added motivation for the hosts.
"This is a wonderful boost for cricket. The fact that England are the current World Cup champions will add tremendously to the two series and will give our own players every motivation to perform at their very best and challenge the acknowledged champions," Govender said (UNI)
