Cricket South Africa (CSA) is currently in discussions with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) regarding their upcoming two-Test tour of Bangladesh in October. The series is set to begin on October 21, according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP), but ongoing political tensions in Bangladesh have led to uncertainty about whether South Africa will proceed with the tour.
CSA is conducting security checks, and a final decision is still pending. The recent relocation of the Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE due to student riots has raised further concerns about the situation in the country.
Despite these concerns, CSA sources have indicated that the situation in Bangladesh appears to have calmed down. However, the tour will only go ahead if the security assessments show no significant risks. If the evaluation indicates any danger, South Africa will not tour the country.
The decision will not be left to individual players; instead, a collective choice will be made, binding all members of the squad to comply with the final ruling. This ensures that the entire team will either travel together or stay back as a unit.
South Africa currently sits in seventh place on the World Test Championship standings. Out of six Tests played, the Proteas have won two, lost three, and drawn one, amassing 29 points. With only six matches remaining in this cycle, South Africa must win at least five of them to have a realistic chance of reaching the 2025 World Test Championship final.
All of South Africa’s matches so far have been limited to two-Test series. This scheduling decision is part of CSA’s strategy to focus on the SA20 league and reduce operational costs.
Following the Bangladesh tour, South Africa will engage in a white-ball series against Afghanistan and Ireland.
