Cricket South Africa, Cricket Australia tensions escalate over cancelled Test tour

“If Cricket Australia’s last-minute cancellation of the tour was merely spineless and callow, it might have been excusable. But there was a background of cynicism … it transpired that there may also have been plenty of hypocrisy, selfishness and dishonesty to complete the recipe.”

The Daily Maverick quoted South African coach Mark Boucher, who reportedly said: “It seems a lot of goalposts were being moved for that particular tour, for Australia.

“For example, the one positive that came out of the bubble [for the Test series] against Sri Lanka [in Centurion and at the Wanderers in December and January] was the hotel that we stayed at. We thought it was a great hotel for us as South Africans. It suited our needs and the cultural way that we are, being outdoors [people]. And we even surrendered that to Australia.

“There’s probably a feeling that we were laying down the red carpet for Australia, which is frustrating, at times.”

However, CA moved swiftly on Tuesday to respond to the claims.

A spokesman insisted CA had done all it could, and already at great expense, to ensure the series went ahead, even paying for flights when typically that is covered by the host nation.

The spokesman said team manager Gavin Dovey worked on the trip for months and declared the “goalposts” reference was wrong, arguing it only wanted specific details from CSA, which CSA could not provide.

He said there had been a “philosophical difference” in the way the two countries had handled the coronavirus pandemic. As an example, he said CA had repeatedly asked how the squad would travel from the airport to the country club under strict bio-secure protocols, only for CSA to reply “that they would take care of that”.

The spokesman said CSA had admitted there were no guarantees the country club would be free of the virus, heightening fears that a player or touring party member would test positive, thereby adding to concerns under what strict measures CA would need to meet to be able to return home.

CA said it had yet to find a willing airline to bring the party home because of the high risk of infection in South Africa, although the seven-day average of new infections there has dropped from more than 19,000 last month to little more than 3000.

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CA also pointed out that its decision was not without consequence for the Australian side, for it almost certainly means Tim Paine’s men cannot now make the inaugural World Test Championship final. The winner of the India-England series is expected to meet New Zealand in the final.

Manthorp, in a scathing assessment, insisted CA’s changes of plans were “never-ending”.

“The Australians preferred not to use a commercial airport, somewhere like, OR Tambo International. Let’s see you jump through that hoop. Lengthy communication with various government ministries and departments led to clearance for a charter plane to land at Lanseria,” he said.

“Then CA told their hosts that they would be arriving on a Qantas Dreamliner, too large to land at Lanseria. CSA went back to the relevant government ministries to ask permission for the aeroplane to use a private terminal at OR Tambo. It was granted.

“Then Cricket Australia ‘requested’ that an Australian developed track-and-trace system was purchased and used during the tour. Even though they would be ‘bubbling’ by themselves. The purchase was agreed.”

Cricket Australia also pointed out that while CSA said the Sri Lanka tour went without incident, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board had a different story on how the two-Test tour unfolded. That series had matches split between Johannesburg and Centurion – the same venues the Australians would have played at.

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CA said CSA had been unable to meet a January 22 deadline, with CA then having to call a meeting a day later, upon which the bio-secure details had yet again not been finalised. CA had also offered to host the South Africans, with Perth one option, but they refused to have the campaign shifted.

CSA has since written to the International Cricket Council, seeking intervention and financial help for struggling nations who have tours lost because of the pandemic. The ICC has confirmed it received the letter. According to ESPN Cricinfo, the letter, which is not a formal complaint, says Australia’s decision was “against the spirit of sportsmanship”.

Amid claims that it is willing to do all it can to ensure lucrative series against India and England go ahead through the pandemic, but that it doesn’t have the same intention for so-called second-tier cricketing nations, the Cricket Australia spokesman told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald next summer’s international campaign – headlined by an Ashes series – will open with the rescheduled one-off Test against Afghanistan.

CSA and CA have not discussed an alternative date for the series since CEO Nick Hockley confirmed the postponement but Manthorp suggested the damage has already been done.