Cricket South Africa received a big boost over the weekend as the South African government has given permission to welcome the England cricket team for a limited-overs series. The World Champions are set to play three one-day internationals and three T-20 games against South Africa.
The announcement will come as a relief for South African cricket fans as the country has not hosted an international game since the pandemic began in March. However, the green light for the series to go ahead is unlikely to ease pressure on Cricket South Africa (CSA).
According to ESPNcricinfo, Sports minister Nathi Mthethwa is likely to take strict action against the governing body of cricket in the country. The report insists that Mthethwa could strip off CSA by cutting off the funding and dissolving the sports body.
In October 2020, all board members of CSA resigned, and an interim committee was appointed to make key decisions. The interim committee will have to come up with a strong plan for cricket in South Africa to convince Mthethwa. If the sports minister is not convinced, then the reins of cricket are likely to be handed over to the sports ministry.
The turmoil in CSA is unlikely to have a major impact on the series against England. The English players are set to land in South Africa on November 16 and start the ten-day quarantine period. It remains to be seen whether the future tournaments of 2021 will be affected due to turmoil at CSA.
Meanwhile, England continues to adapt to the pandemic as the team will travel away from the country for a series. This will be England’s fourth series during the pandemic after hosting West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia earlier this year.