Australia's tour of South Africa: All you need to know

When does it start?

Australia's journey to the ODI World Cup in India starts in South Africa, but before the five 50-over games begin, the Aussies have three T20 internationals in Durban against the Proteas, starting 2am AEST Thursday morning

Schedule

2023 Qantas T20s v South Africa

August 30: First T20I, Durban (August 31, 2am AEST)

September 1: Second T20I, Durban (September 2, 2am AEST)

September 3: Third T20I, Durban, September 3, 10pm AEST

2023 Qantas ODIs v South Africa

September 7: First ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 9: Second ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 12: Third ODI, Potchefstroom (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 15: Fourth ODI, Centurion (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 17: Fifth ODI, Johannesburg, 6pm AEST

Is it a full-strength Aussie side?

For the T20 fixtures, Australia is rolling out arguably one of its most fresh and dynamic and exciting line-ups in years.

The looming ODI World Cup in October and November and the heavy red-ball workload in the UK over the winter means several established stars are missing from the T20 side that has a distinct Big Bash League flavour. We'll go more in depth on this below.

For the 50-over matches against the Proteas, we are getting a lot closer to a full-strength squad, with a few notable exceptions. Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell are all sidelined from this tour for various reasons.

It means Mitch Marsh will captain Australia in both white-ball formats for this tour.

How can I watch?

Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports have exclusive broadcast rights to the tour for Aussie viewers. Kayo's excellent 'Mini' packages and full replays are worth every cent of the subscription fee at times like this. If you're not already onboard with Kayo, get around it here

How's the time difference?

Honestly, it's not the best for Aussie fans on the east coast. South Africa is eight hours behind the eastern seaboard, and six hours behind for those in Perth, making that slightly more palatable.

Two of the three T20 games start at 2am for east coast viewers, the other at 10pm.

Four of the five one-day games start at 9pm on the east coast (so 7pm for WA), while fifth and final match is the only one to be played as a day match, meaning it starts at 6pm for the east coast, and 4pm for those in WA.

Lucky we know a place where you can catch up…

Ok then… what about live scores, news and highlights?

The cricket.com.au website and CA Live app have had a makeover, all designed to give users better access to the same great live scores, news and highlights.

Our match centre will carry replays of every wicket during the tour, courtesy of Fox Cricket and Kayo, so you can wake up and watch how things unfolded overnight.

And we'll continue to have the same great news, features and behind-the-scenes video and social media content you've come to know and love.

How's the time difference?

Honestly, it's not the best for Aussie fans on the east coast. South Africa is eight hours behind the eastern seaboard, and six hours behind for those in Perth, making it slightly more palatable for late-night viewing.

Two of the three T20 games start at 2am for east coast viewers, the other at 10pm.

Four of the five one-day games start at 9pm on the east coast (so 7pm for WA), while the fifth and final match is the only one to be played as a day match, meaning it starts at 6pm for the east coast, and 4pm for those in WA.

Talk T20 squad news to me

Mitch Marsh captains a fresh-faced squad of 14 that will see three of the breakout stars from last summer's KFC BBL play their first international in Thursday morning's opening game.

Exciting left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, in-form opening batter Matt Short, and the latest prodigy off Western Australia's production line of allrounders in Aaron Hardie have all been named to play the opening match.

Short will open alongside Travis Head with the chance to establish a longer-term partnership at the top of the order, with David Warner sitting out this tour. The caveat to that is Australia was keen to see Steve Smith open the batting in this series after his jaw-dropping efforts as opener with the Sixers last summer, but a wrist injury picked up in the Ashes saw him pull out of the tour.

Josh Inglis is Australia's first-choice gloveman in this series after a prolonged time touring without taking the gloves. Matthew Wade was initially left out of this squad, but he's come in with Maxwell wrapped in cotton wool given how close the ODI World Cup is.

Maxwell, who still has a metal plate in his left leg after fracturing his fibula in a freak birthday-party accident last November, aggravated his ankle during Australia's first training session in Durban.

That means Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Tim David are the familiar faces in middle order, with Hardie slotting in at No.7. That's an unfamiliar slot for Hardie, who did his best work with the Perth Scorchers higher up the order, but he packs a powerful punch.

The new-look approach means Australia takes a front-line bowling line-up of Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis and Johnson as quicks into the first match, along with leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

Jason Behrendorff, who hasn't played a T20 for Australia in more than two years, is a reserve, as is batter Ashton Turner. Turner was a surprise omission from the original squad but got called up when Smith was ruled out.

Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

And how's the ODI squad looking?

The T20 series is an exciting hors d'oeuvre ahead of the main feast of fifty-over cricket with five matches that will be important World Cup preparation for both teams.

Australia will have a 17-man squad in South Africa for the ODI leg, but that needs to be trimmed to 15 for the World Cup proper, which must be finalised by September 28 at the latest.

Pat Cummins will be in South Africa, but it is unlikely he'll play any of the five matches as he recovers from a fractured left (non-bowling) wrist picked up in the final Ashes Test.

It means Mitch Marsh will continue as captain, with Cummins taking the top ODI job once he's back on the park.

Missing from the South Africa tour are Steve Smith and Mitch Starc – Smith hurt his wrist during the Ashes and has it in a splint at the moment, while Starc is suffering from groin soreness and has been given more time to recover after his heavy workload over the winter.

Glenn Maxwell was set to miss the ODIs even before he hurt his ankle as he prepares to welcome his first child in September.

It means there's three new faces in the ODI squad: Aaron Hardie and Tanveer Sangha were the surprise inclusions in the provisional World Cup squad, while Spencer Johnson has joined them as Starc's replacement.

Marnus Labuschagne, who was the highest profile casualty from that provisional squad, has been given a lifeline with Smith ruled out, giving him an outside chance of forcing his way into the World Cup XV.

Cummins, Starc, Smith and Maxwell are all expected to be back with the Aussies when they get to India after these games against the Proteas, where they will play three games against the hosts before two official warm-up fixtures.

The tournament proper gets underway on October 8.

Sangha's selection to this squad was a real bolt from the blue – the 21-year-old has not played any top-level cricket since a one-day domestic practice match in Coffs Harbour last September, after which he was diagnosed with a back stress fracture that sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 summer.

Jhye Richardson was not considered as he continues his recovery from a series of hamstring issues that have plagued him, while Lance Morris is on the comeback trail from a back issue.

Alex Carey remains Australia's first-choice 50-over gloveman, with Inglis included as his back-up, while Abbott and Ellis add depth to the bowling stocks with Josh Hazlewood to lead the attack.

Australia's provisional World Cup squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

 

Australia's ODI squad in South Africa: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

And how are the Proteas looking?

South Africa have included precocious batting talent Dewald Brevis in their ODI and T20 squads. Brevis, 20, nicknamed 'Baby AB' after one of the most destructive batters in history, AB de Villiers, has the highest score in South Africa's domestic T20 cricket with 162 from 57 balls and was leading run-scorer at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup.

South Africa's experienced campaigners Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have all been rested for the T20 series but will return for the ODIs.

Hard-hitting batter Tristan Stubbs will keep wicket for the Proteas T20 side, which is captained by Aiden Markram.

Other uncapped players in the T20 squad include wicketkeeper-batter Donovan Ferreira and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, as well as batter Matthew Breetzke.

Form guide

Australia have won 13 of their past 20 ODIs dating back to March 2022. In that time they lost a three-game series 2-1 in Pakistan, and lost a five-game series in Sri Lanka 3-2.

Since then they've won series at home against Zimbabwe, New Zealand and England and, perhaps most pertinently, won a three-game series in India in March this year 2-1.

That series, where Warner was missing, saw Marsh and Head opening the batting and dominate, and there have been suggestions the Aussies may find a middle-order role for Warner in this tournament.

On the T20 side of things, Australia have not played a match in the format since their group stage exit at last year's T20 World Cup on home soil. With such a new-look team, form means little.