*Official* Australia in South Africa Tests 2021

[StephenZA]

Graeme Smith on Aussie tour disappointment: 'It's frustrating to be informed at 11th hour' | Sport

Cricket South Africa has expressed its disappointment in the sudden postponement of this month's three-match Test series between the Proteas and Australia.

www.news24.com

 

[Daemon]

It's obvious Australia were running scared, similar to how India tried so hard to get out of playing at the Gabba.

They also pulled out of touring Bangladesh once when they realised they'd probably get whitewashed on the minefields.

 

[Heboric]

Damn there goes the free points, no matter how in the dumps the team is, we seem to always come right when its Australia

 

[cnerd123]

Australia have conceded a chance at the final. The possibility of bowling to Pujara again broke them IMO.

 

[chris.hinton]

Haha Aussies bottled it

 

[ParwazHaiJunoon]

wow wade gets dropped and australian cricket falls apart

Daily reminder that Wade > Head

 

[Fuller Pilch]

We're in the final!!
Jamieson motm

 

[Howsie]

Test series in New Zealand instead please

 

[Bahnz]

I know you're not being serious but NZ would have to cancel their commitments to Bangladesh to allow that.

 

[Bahnz]

Does anyone think this was the wrong decision by CA? The number of daily new cases in South Africa has fallen by nearly 90% in the past 4 weeks, and the SL tour managed to go off without a hitch when contagion was raging out of control.

 

[StephenZA]

What are the consequences of pulling out? This is not India or England; SA can't throw their toys out of the cot and make a fuss. Aus don't make money for the SA tour and they already have T20s setup in NZ that will make them money.

I can understand that there is concern because covid is rampant in SA, but I doubt very much that the cricketers in the bio-secure bubble will be infected unless they want to take a jolly around town.

Ultimately though why would you want to go play cricket in SA when you can hop over the sea and have a jolly in NZ, without worries of bio-secure bubbles etc. I just wish CA had been honest earlier.

 

[Chrish]

CA adamant on protecting Steve Smith’s average at all cost..

 

[Dan]

dan you're turning into Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac. I feel like you should record Ryan Harris, noted CA coach, saying the tour was going ahead.

With that said....I'm surprised Australia have cancelled. the main thing in world cricket right now is just keep the train rolling and the broadcast deals coming in. I wonder if Australia ****ing SA over like this might have some ramifications down the line....#SpikeysConspiracyTheories

but also it's probably not safe to tour

Ha, yeah, the #conspiracy is very much tongue in cheek but I reckon the CA thinking has definitely been trending this way for a little while now (as it should be - it shouldn't be a snap decision after all) and I can't really blame them for it. Some of the comms has felt weird at times, but I mean that's hardly out of the ordinary for CA.

To delve back into the bit and counter-conspiracy your conspiracy though, maybe this is the ramification for CSA's shortcomings around the last tour. I mean, if you wanted to **** over CSA, pulling a tour in circumstances where there's legitimate coverage for cancelling is definitely a way to do it.

(Fun of #narrative theories aside, Occam's Razor still applies - there's lots of COVID in RSA compared to Aus so the risk profile of touring is a bit different)

 

[morgieb]

While I think Australia did pull out for legitimate reasons they've really badly handled this assuming Smith's word is true. It doesn't help that they've often been reluctant to fulfill their FTP requirements if they don't think it's commercially viable. Honestly if I were CSA I'd try and sue them for monster damages if only to get them running scared.

 

[kaetor]

CA showing their shithousery yet again. It sounds like SA cricket board put a lot of money in to the bio-secure environment for this tour, only for them to withdraw. Bet they don't see a cent of compensation too. Hard for the boards outside of the big 3, possibly a further nail in the coffin of test cricket.

 

[stephen]

It sucks.

Covid sucks.

CA sucks even if this is fair. Poor CSA. Poor players. Poor fans.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Not really relevant to the overall picture but the way Aus players were treated on the last tour, and with all the **** that went on like CSA overturning of Rabada's suspension, crowd abuse etc. I don't really feel sorry for CSA in the slightest

 

[Burgey]

Honestly if I were CSA I'd try and sue them for monster damages if only to get them running scared.

Be interesting which jurisdiction they brought the claim in, and whether it took any court worth its salt two or three minutes to toss it out

 

[Burgey]

Not really relevant to the overall picture but the way Aus players were treated on the last tour, and with all the **** that went on like CSA overturning of Rabada's suspension, crowd abuse etc. I don't really feel sorry for CSA in the slightest

lol absolutely. Pack of arseholes. SA sports administrators are some of the few in the world who make ours seem reasonable and good natured.

 

[morgieb]

Be interesting which jurisdiction they brought the claim in, and whether it took any court worth its salt two or three minutes to toss it out

I mean it obviously would get chucked out of court. But it might scare Australia into giving them significant compensation and be an effective line in the sand against the Big 3’s dominance of the game.