Johannesburg, May 3 (IANS): Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced that the men’s team will take on Sri Lanka in two Tests and Pakistan in an all-format tour, while the women’s team will play host to England for a multi-format tour in the 2024/25 home summer happening between November and January.
After South Africa ‘A’ hosts Sri Lanka 'A' from three 50-over matches (August 31- September 4) and two four-day matches (September 8- 18), the Proteas senior men’s team will open the international home summer in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban from November 27-December 1, followed by second game at St George’s Park in Gqeberha from December 5-9.
Women’s all-format series against England will run concurrently, starting with a three-match T20I series from November 24 - 30. The three-match ODI series will follow at multiple venues across the country from December 4-11, with the annual Black Day, organised to raise awareness against gender violence, making its return to Kingsmead Stadium on December 8.
Proteas women will then take on England in the first women’s Test match on home soil since 2002, when it hosted India that time. The four-day Test match will be staged at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein from December 15-18.
At the same time, men’s T20I side take on Pakistan in a three-match series from December 10-14. Temba Bavuma will lead the side in three-match ODI series from December 17-22. The fan favourite Pink Day will be marked on December 22 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
The two teams will then play a two-game Test series, starting with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion from December 26-30, before heading to Cape Town for the New Year’s Test at Newlands Cricket Ground from January 3-7.
The home season, whose tickets will go on sale from October 19, looks a little short in order to make space for the SA20 season and potentially, the 2025 Champions Trophy, apart from South Africa featuring in a tri-series in Pakistan.
"As we eagerly anticipate the 2024/25 home international season, it once again holds the promise of exhilarating encounters. As we open our doors to esteemed cricketing nations like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England, we not only showcase the talent and competitiveness of South African cricket but also celebrate the global appeal and camaraderie inherent in our beloved sport.
"These fixtures serve as a platform to not just compete, but to foster bonds between nations, uniting players and fans alike in the shared love for cricket,” concluded Pholetsi Moseki, CSA CEO.