South Africa’s 2025-26 International Season: No Men’s Tests, Women’s Series Against Ireland and Pakistan
Cricket South Africa announced that the men’s team will not compete in Test matches during the 2025-26 season. The women’s team will host Ireland and Pakistan for T20 and ODI series. The men’s squad will prepare for the T20 World Cup following a series against the West Indies. CSA emphasizes development through U19 and A-team matches.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced that the men’s team will not participate in any Test matches during the 2025-26 international home season. Instead, the highlight of the season will be the women’s team hosting Ireland and Pakistan. Both series will consist of three T20 internationals and three One Day Internationals, scheduled for December and February respectively.
The South African women’s team will face Ireland from December 5 to December 19, followed by the Pakistan series from February 10 to March 1. This Pakistan series will also initiate the new International Women’s Championship (IWC) cycle, culminating in the 2029 Women’s ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, the men’s team is set to play a five-match T20 series against the West Indies between January 27 and February 6 before heading to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Pholetsi Moseki, the CEO of CSA, expressed enthusiasm for the women’s matches, emphasizing the benefit of exposing the team to strong competition. He noted the men’s international window is particularly brief this season due to overlapping tours and preparation for the T20 World Cup. Moseki remarked that the upcoming Betway SA20 league and international fixtures will provide essential game time for the men’s team.
Additionally, the South Africa U19 Men’s team will be actively preparing for the 2026 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup with a Youth ODI series against Bangladesh from July 17 to 22. South Africa ‘A’ will also engage in various series against New Zealand ‘A’, reinforcing the developmental activities within the CSA program.
The schedule for the men’s T20I series against the West Indies includes five matches across various venues from January 27 to February 6, 2026. The upcoming women’s series includes scheduled T20Is against Ireland starting on December 5, 2025 and matches against Pakistan starting February 10, 2025.
In conclusion, the 2025-26 international home season for South Africa will see the men’s team absent from Test matches while the women’s team hosts crucial series against Ireland and Pakistan. The men’s squad will engage in T20 matches, but their window is limited this year due to various outbound tours. CSA is prioritizing development in youth and A-team fixtures, indicating a focus on nurturing future talent within South African cricket.
Original Source: sports.ndtv.com
