South Africans are spoilt for choice when it comes to sporting events. We are one of a few countries to have hosted all three of the major World Cups, being the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and most recently, the FIFA Soccer World Cup. All this counted for very little when India decided not to follow through on their original cricket tour of South Africa.
The story goes that India and South Africa agreed on a tour in South Africa over the festive season. These festive season tours are well-known for their massive crowds and sold-out stadiums. The South African Union released a full schedule, only for India to backtrack and state that the fixtures were never agreed upon.
Whatever the backroom politics may be the fact remains that South Africa has lost in this transaction. Not only has the Indian tour been reduced significantly, but the fixtures that were eventually decided on see the distinct lack of a New Year’s Test match. For those who don’t quite understand, the New Year’s Test match is a match held at the Newlands Grounds, in Cape Town, which sees tens of thousands of people in the stands and on the grass embankments, the best supported match in a South African season.
The main reason behind this sudden backtrack by India, is to allow a legend of a batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar, to play his 200th Test match in India. I can understand the need for the country to honour their greatest ever player by hosting his biggest match in their own country, but then rather keep him from playing in South Africa and all concerned will be happy.
This has left the majority of cricket fans in South Africa with a horrible taste in their mouth, as South African Cricket and its administrators have just been walked over by the Indian Cricket Union. Calls in South Africa are to completely boycott these matches. It would be a sad day in South African cricket if they play to empty stands in their own country, not even taking into consideration that financial loss that will be incurred.
The South African union has worked towards bringing some other cricket to South Africa to make up the numbers, with a short series of One Day Internationals and T20 matches arranged for November. Cricket SA has gone as far as reducing the ticket prices in an attempt to get crowds at the matches. We will have to wait and see if this works.
All in all, a South African summer is not complete without a bit of top class cricket to attend, and it seems this year will be very different to previous years, as we simply have nothing to look forward to.
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