South Africa Confirms Pakistan Tour

After a hiatus of more than 14 years, South Africa has confirmed its tour of Pakistan in January 2021 to play two International Cricket Council Test championship matches and three T20 matches in Pakistan.

The SA squad will arrive in Pakistan on Jan 16 and will play the first test match in the National Stadium from Jan 26 to Jan 30. After which, they will leave for Rawalpindi where they will play their second test match between Feb 4-8. The side will then move to Lahore where they will play the three T20 matches on Feb 11, 12, and 13.

The SA squad will arrive in Karachi where they will stay under a mandatory quarantine period and train at the National Stadium, Karachi where they will begin their one-month tour.

Sadly, however, the fans would not be able to enjoy the matches in the stadium due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country and will have to see the entire tour through the television channels.

South Africa’s tour to Pakistan is a major impetus to Pakistan, which has seen no international matches on its home soil since an Indian-sponsored terror attack on Sri Lanka’s international team halted all international matches in the country.

The Pakistan Cricket Board and the government has since then requested the international cricket boards and international teams around the world to come and play in Pakistan. Most of the teams have however refused to play inside Pakistan citing security concerns.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and West Indies have played in the country whereas teams like South Africa and England have agreed to tours inside Pakistan in the year 2021.

Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand are yet to confirm if they will play inside Pakistan despite significant improvement in the security situation.

Indian team, on the other hand is unlikely to come to Pakistan in the near future.