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JOHANNESBURG: Australia will play just two Tests on their tour of South Africa in October and November as the two nations do not want to intrude on the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20).
The CLT20, a franchise competition jointly owned by the Australian, Indian and South African cricket boards, is scheduled to take place in India in September and October.
It was originally mooted that Australia would play three Tests during their tour but Cricket South Africa (CSA) spokesman Michael Owen-Smith said time constraints made a three-Test series an impossibility.
“There are two issues. The first is the Champions League T20 and the other is that Australia couldn’t stay longer as they have commitments at home,” Owen-Smith said on Friday.
Australia’s tour, which starts with a Twenty20 (T20) international on October 13, includes two T20 games, three one-day internationals (ODI) and two Tests, the first of which is scheduled for November 9 in Cape Town.
“We would have loved to have played three Tests but, given the time constraints, we have to look after all three formats of the game. But we have made it clear that Test cricket is our priority,” Owen-Smith added.
CSA chief executive Gerald Majola said that an effort would be made to make up the lost Test the next time Australia toured South Africa.
“The aim is to play a four-match Test series when Australia next tour in February and March of 2014. This will make up for the extra Test not being played on this year’s tour,” Majola said in a statement.
CSA also announced that Sri Lanka will undertake their first full tour of South Africa since 2002.
Sri Lanka will play three Tests and five ODIs in December and January.
Fixtures against Australia: 1st T20 international, Oct.13, Cape Town; 2nd T20 international, Oct.16, Johannesburg;
1st ODI, Oct.19, Centurion; 2nd ODI, Oct.23, Port Elizabeth; 3rd ODI, Oct.28, Durban;
1st Test, Nov.9-13, Cape Town; 2nd Test, Nov.17-21, Johannesburg
Fixtures against Sri Lanka: 1st Test, Dec.15-19, Centurion; 2nd Test, Dec.26-30, Durban; 3rd Test, Jan.3-7, Cape Town;
1st ODI, Jan.11, Paarl; 2nd ODI, Jan.14, East London; 3rd ODI, Jan.17, Bloemfontein; 4th ODI, Jan.20, Kimberley; 5th ODI, Jan.22, Johannesburg
