Australia to tour South Africa for three T20Is, five ODIs ahead of ODI World Cup

Johannesburg, May 5 (IANS) Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday announced Australia would tour the country from August 30 to September 17 for three T20Is and five ODIs as part of the preparation for the ODI World Cup to be held in India in October-November.

Kingsmead Stadium in Durban is set to host all three T20Is on August 30, September 1 and 3, with Australia set to be led by a new captain after Aaron Fin'h's international retirement earlier in the year.

The five-match ODI series will get underway at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on September 7 and 9, before the third ODI is played at JB Marks Oval on September 12.

Both teams will then head to SuperSport Park to play the fourth ODI on September 15, with the final match of the 50-over series to be played at Wanderers Stadium on September 17. South Africa welcome Australia for the first time since 2020 when the hosts bounced back from a 2-1 T20I series defeat to beat the visitors 3-0 in the ODI series.

"Games and tours like these against a formidable Australia side can only do good for our Proteas Men. It is also an opportunity for coach Rob Walter and his team to keep building on the excellent work they have already done so far together."

"We look forward to watching them play and we hope that South Africans will come out in their numbers and get behind the team in what should be a highly competitive tour," said Pholetsi Moseki, Chief Executive Officer, CSA.

South Africa haven't yet qualified for ODI World Cup after pulling out of three matches against Australia last year in January due to a clash with their new domestic SA20 league.

Their direct qualification into the tournament depends on Ireland losing one of their three ODIs against Bangladesh next week. But if Ireland win 3-0, South Africa will be playing the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June-July.

"It is the start of the international season for us and it is a particularly important campaign in many respects becaus' of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup which is taking place in India later in the year. We haven't qualified just yet, but we hope to be there and challenge the best in the world when the tournament is played in October and November," concluded Moseki.

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