The final T20I Between South Africa and Pakistan Canceled Due to Rain

The series now moves to Paarl, where the first of three ODIs between the sides will take place Due to persistent rain, the third T20I between South Africa and Pakistan in Johannesburg was abandoned without a toss. Lightning strikes initially delayed the match, followed by steady drizzle. Despite excellent drainage at Wanderers, groundstaff remained ready. […]

The series now moves to Paarl, where the first of three ODIs between the sides will take place

Due to persistent rain, the third T20I between South Africa and Pakistan in Johannesburg was abandoned without a toss. Lightning strikes initially delayed the match, followed by steady drizzle. Despite excellent drainage at Wanderers, groundstaff remained ready. An inspection was planned when the rain briefly stopped, but the rain soon returned.

After a two-hour delay, the match was officially called off, with Heinrich Klaasen and Mohammad Rizwan shaking hands by the dugouts. South Africa won the three-match T20I series 2-0, winning the first match by 11 runs and the second by seven wickets. The series moves to Paarl for the first of three ODIs, followed by games in Cape Town and Johannesburg, before two Test matches in Centurion and Cape Town.

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South Africa Women’s Test Against England to Be Played Without DRS

The one-off Test between South Africa and England in Bloemfontein will be the only international match—men’s or women’s—played in South Africa this summer without DRS. This Test, marking the first women’s Test in South Africa in 22 years, will be the sole exception among the 21 international matches scheduled for men and women.

This is the first season that DRS, a technology costing millions of dollars, has been used in women’s bilateral internationals in South Africa. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has prioritized DRS for white-ball women’s internationals.

“The inclusion of the DRS for the ongoing inbound tour against England was agreed upon at the planning stage of the tour, noting that it will be the first time it was used for women’s bilateral tours in South Africa in recent history,” Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of national teams and high performance, said in response to a query about the absence of DRS for the Test.

“The white-ball formats were prioritized with regards to DRS for this tour as it directly impacted the Proteas Women’s rankings in T20I cricket and the Women’s Championship as well as the overall CSA strategy for the senior women’s national team.”

“While the development of the red-ball format is important, it is worth noting that resources are currently being directed at the white-ball formats due to the significance of ODI and T20I cricket in the current women’s international cricket landscape.”

South Africa Secures World Cup Spot, But DRS Issues and Budget Constraints Affect Test

South Africa had already secured the ODI World Cup qualification before their series against England. Still, they aimed to finish as high as possible in the Women’s Championship points table. Currently, they are ranked fourth in ODIs and fifth in T20Is. During the ongoing England tour, the DRS malfunctioned. In the first ODI in Kimberley, Tazmin Brits was given out lbw after being struck on the pad by Lauren Bell. She wanted to review the decision, but the technology was unavailable.

ESPNcricinfo understands that despite Cricket South Africa (CSA) posting a profit of US$45.6 million last year, the cost of using DRS was deemed too high for this match, especially as the India men’s T20I series was the only financially profitable visit this summer. The Test match will be produced on a budget, with only seven operated cameras (compared to as many as 30 in some broadcasts) and two run-out cameras on one side of the field, limiting the TV umpire’s ability to make certain decisions.

The two on-field umpires, Kerrin Klaaste and Lauren Agenbag will officiate their first Test match. While DRS has become standard in international cricket, it is still sometimes absent, as seen in this year’s men’s ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe (where it was only used from the Super Six stage) and the women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in the UAE, as well as during Ireland Women’s recent tour of Bangladesh.