The question of how the new SA20 December 26 start date will affect the Proteas Test schedule at the end of 2025, has a simple answer - it won’t because there isn't one.
The fact is that South Africa uncharacteristically do not have Test matches planned for the traditional period at the end of 2025, and therefore there is no clash with the SA20 this time. Season four of the SA20 will run from December 26, 2025, to January 26, 2026.
In February 2024, however, there was a clash and South Africa were forced to make their marquee players available for the SA20. It meant a critically understrength and inexperienced Test team was sent to New Zealand for a two-match series. The Proteas duly lost 2-0 and their squad selection drew much international criticism.
The SA20 though, is the main profit generator for Cricket SA (CSA) and it has no choice but to place the tournament as the most important on its calendar.
No competing with the big three
CSA cannot compete financially with Cricket Australia (CA), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and it has little to no choice about prioritising the SA20 over Test cricket.
CA, ECB and the BCCI form the ‘big three’ in Test cricket and are protectionist and self-serving in their retention of power, amongst the three wealthiest cricket nations.
Hosts South Africa recently qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final over the Christmas period with a 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan. South Africa had played the joint-fewest number of Tests in the current two-year cycle of the WTC having participated in just 12 matches.
Ticket prices for SA’s Test matches and the SA20 are both similar with the costs for the T20 competition’s starting from R85 for the cheap seats. The Tests, meanwhile, for the Pakistan series started at R100.
It has to be said though, the vast majority of SA20 matches are sellouts or close to that mark, while Test matches in SA, regardless of the venue in the country battle, to fill the grounds for any of the days of the matches.
That’s just one of the many reasons that CSA can bank on the SA20 turning a good profit.
While the following SA20 tournaments in 2027 will return to their traditional January 9 starts, this year’s prospect of no Test cricket in SA over the festive period may just paint a gloomy picture of what to expect in future.