Cricket West Indies (CWI) have been in discussion with Cricket South Africa regarding hosting South Africa in a bio-secure environment in one Caribbean territory, with Barbados being the most compelling option.
CWI CEO Johnny Grave
According to CWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave, the two cricket boards had made three calls in the last seven days. Grave noted that the plan is to welcome home the players from England on a Wednesday, when they would have the weekend at home, and the Hero Caribbean Premier League players will move to Trinidad and Tobago on or around August 3.
Grave is hoping for the South Africa tour to start soon after the CPL ends on September 10.
“We hope South Africa will follow soon after that, whether we can get the full tour in, or split the Tests and T20s. It will be depending on the IPL, since South Africa has a number of Test players with IPL contracts, and we would not be able to play Test cricket with South Africa players in the IPL”, he explained.
At this stage, Grave is unable to confirm, but noted that the Caribbean has the ability and facility to host this tour in a bio-secure environment.
“We have the expertise, as seen by the ongoing works in the CPL. We will be looking to host South Africa in one country, since changing countries would be a huge operational challenge,” Grave highlighted on the Mason and Guest cricket show on Tuesday.
Confident, Grave has also hinted that the bilateral series would be of less complexities in contrast to CPL. While Grave did not confirm that Barbados is the host country for the prospective South Africa series, he said it is a compelling option.
Grave noted that Barbados has two First-class grounds in the 3Ws Oval and the Kensington Oval, making it a standout hosting option. “The fact (is) that there will be BA flights coming from the UK into Bridgetown and the medical facilities are some of the best in the region,” he explained.
With the full CPL tournament set to be played in Trinidad, that country would not be considered, but Grave noted that CWI must discuss with the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) on hosting South Africa.
South Africa last toured the Caribbean in 2016 for a Tri-Nation ODI series involving West Indies and eventual champions Australia. The Proteas’ last Test and T20 series was back in 2010, when they won the three-match Test series 2-0 and also both T20s. (Brandon Corlette)
