The already light international schedule of the Proteas men’s team shrunk further after confirmation on Tuesday that they will play just three T20 Internationals, not five, in the 2025-26 season.
SA’s series with the West Indies, scheduled to run from January 26 to February 6, has been reduced to five days to accommodate the revised dates for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The tournament was due to start in mid-February but has been moved to the first week of that month. The ICC has also set aside a “support period” (warm-up matches) starting on January 31.
The two T20 Internationals scheduled for East London on January 29 and Cape Town on February 1 have thus been cancelled.
The first match of the reduced series is scheduled for Paarl on January 27 followed by Centurion on January 29 and the series concluder two days later at the Wanderers.
#ProteasMaceTour Day 4 🏆
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 28, 2025
Unforgettable moments in Cape Town with our World Test Champions! ✨
A powerful reminder of how sport continues to inspire and uplift our communities. 🇿🇦#WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/A0ibkzD47j
The final match also constitutes the “Pink Day” festivities, which usually coincide with an ODI. However, the Proteas men have no ODIs or Tests scheduled this summer.
To fill the schedule over what is usually the peak period for cricket, the SA20 will be played, starting on December 26.
It is the first time in the postisolation period that SA will not host a Test match.
The Proteas’ tour to India ends on December 19.
Cricket SA was unable to secure matches for the 2025/26 season due to the T20 World Cup and the late finish of the India tour. In addition, Australia, England, the West Indies and New Zealand all face each other over the festive period.
And with Sri Lanka and Pakistan having toured last season and Bangladesh scheduled to travel to SA next summer, little room was left to set up a series.
Besides two Tests against Bangladesh in 2026/27, the World Test Champions also face Australia and England in a pair of three-match Test series.
Revised Proteas schedule vs West Indies
- January 27: first T20 International, Paarl
- January 29: second T20 International, Centurion
- January 31: third T20 International, Johannesburg
