Sports
South Africa announce eight home Tests for 2026-27
CENTURION: World champions South Africa will play eight Test matches at home in the 2026-27 season, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Monday.
South Africa, who beat Australia in the 2023-25 Test championship final at Lord’s in England last year, did not play a single home Test match during the current 2025-26 season.
But they will play three Tests against Australia, two against Bangladesh and three against England in the coming season with all three series counting towards the 2025-27 World Test Championship.
South Africa are currently in third place in the standings after sharing a series 1-1 in Pakistan and beating India 2-0 in India.
The Tests against Australia will all be at coastal venues — Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town — starting on Oct 3.
The Bangladesh series will be played in Johannesburg and Centurion during November, while England will be the visitors over the holiday period of December-January. The England Tests will be in Johannesburg, Centurion and Cape Town.
All three tours will also include three-match One-day Internationals series, while Bangladesh will also play three T20 Internationals.
England were also due to play a T20 series but it will be rescheduled because of a clash with the SA20 franchise competition.
CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki said the Test and ODI series were both particularly important for the South African team.
“We have made a promising start to the new World Test Championship cycle and it is important that we continue to build on that momentum and strengthen our position on the WTC table.
“On the white-ball front, our focus remains firmly on building towards hosting the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027. Every ODI series from here forms part of our preparation for that global event.”
South Africa’s home fixtures (2026-27):
Australia in South Africa:
Sept 24: First ODI, Durban
Sept 27: Second ODI, Johannesburg
Sept 30: Third ODI, Potchefstroom
Oct 9-13: First Test, Durban
Oct 18-22: Second Test, Gqeberha
Oct 27-31: Third Test, Cape Town
Bangladesh in South Africa:
Nov 15-19: First Test, Johannesburg
Nov 23-27: Second Test, Centurion
Dec 1: First ODI, East London
Dec 4: Second ODI, Gqeberha
Dec 7: Third ODI, Cape Town
Dec 10: First T20, Kimberley
Dec 12: Second T20, Benoni
Dec 13: Third T20, Centurion
England in South Africa:
Dec 17-21: 1st Test, Johannesburg
Dec 26-30: 2nd Test, Centurion
Jan 3-7: Third Test, Cape Town
Jan 10: First ODI, Paarl
Jan 13: Second ODI, Bloemfontein
Jan 15: Third ODI, Bloemfontein.
Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026
Sports
‘Our fate is not in our hands’: Shaheen on T20 World Cup semi-final prospects following defeat by England – Sport
After England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eight clash by two wickets on Tuesday, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged that his side’s fate was not in its hands anymore.
Pakistan have only one point from two Super Eight matches so now must win their final game and rely on other results going their way to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.
“We know our fate is not in our hands,” he admitted, “But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.”
“It’s not ideal, but it’s like this,” Shaheen said during a press conference after the match.
He also hailed Harry Brook’s century in the match against England as a “world-class knock”.
Brook reached his maiden T20 International hundred off 50 balls, with four sixes and 10 fours, as England went past their 165-run target with five balls to spare to win by two wickets.
Afridi jolted the England top order with a burst of three wickets before Brook played the ultimate captain’s innings to steer his side home.
“In my opinion this will be the best innings of his life,” Afridi told reporters. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on but he took the game away from us.”
Promoted to number three after a morning conversation with England coach Brendon McCullum, Brook walked in after Afridi dismissed Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings.
Afridi then removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to leave England wobbling at 35-3 in the power play.
Brook stood firm, adding 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran and 52 with Will Jacks for the sixth.
His century was the second fastest in T20 World Cup history, and the first ever by a team’s captain.
Only West Indies great Chris Gayle, against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup, reached three figures quicker. He took just 47 balls.
Afridi was clobbered for a six and a four as Brook raced through the “nervous nineties” in two balls, going from 90 to 100 before raising his bat.
The tall paceman bowled Brook with a yorker next ball, but did not celebrate wildly – instead he immediately went to congratulate the England captain in a superb show of cricket sportmanship.
“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he desreved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” said Afridi.
Sports
‘Our fate is not in our hands,’ says Shaheen Shah Afridi after Pakistan’s loss to England – Sport
After England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eight clash by two wickets on Tuesday, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged that his side’s fate was not in its hands.
Pakistan have only one point from two Super Eight matches so now must win their final game and rely on other results going their way to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.
“We know our fate is not in our hands,” he admitted, “But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s like this,” Shaheen said during a press conference after the match.
He also hailed Harry Brook’s century in the match against England as a “world-class knock”.
Brook reached his maiden T20 International hundred off 50 balls, with four sixes and 10 fours, as England went past their 165-run target with five balls to spare to win by two wickets.
Afridi jolted the England top order with a burst of three wickets before Brook played the ultimate captain’s innings to steer his side home.
“In my opinion this will be the best innings of his life,” Afridi told reporters. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on but he took the game away from us.”
Promoted to number three after a morning conversation with England coach Brendon McCullum, Brook walked in after Afridi dismissed Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings.
Afridi then removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to leave England wobbling at 35-3 in the power play.
Brook stood firm, adding 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran and 52 with Will Jacks for the sixth.
His century was the second fastest in T20 World Cup history, and the first ever by a team’s captain.
Only West Indies great Chris Gayle, against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup, reached three figures quicker. He took just 47 balls.
Afridi was clobbered for a six and a four as Brook raced through the “nervous nineties” in two balls, going from 90 to 100 before raising his bat.
The tall paceman bowled Brook with a yorker next ball, but did not celebrate wildly – instead he immediately went to congratulate the England captain in a superb show of cricket sportmanship.
“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he desreved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” said Afridi.
Sports
Pakistan fans are left replaying one missed catch after England wins T20 match
https://images.dawn.com/news/1194942/pakistan-fans-are-left-replaying-one-missed-catch-after-england-wins-t20-match
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