South African head coach Mark Boucher said that the emphasis is on the Test series against Australia, and due to this, they might field a watered-down T20I side during the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
After completing a dominating whitewash against Sri Lanka in the home Test series, South Africa is all set to tour Pakistan after 14 years, and then they will host Australia later in February and March. South Africa will play a two-match Test series, 1st of which will be played in Karachi starting on January 26, followed by the three T20Is from February 11 to 14.
However, South African coach, Mark Boucher said that Test-series against Australia, which is in four days' time after the tour to Pakistan ends, will be their top priority and they might play a watered-down T20I side against Pakistan.
“It won't be our strongest team because the emphasis is on Test cricket against Australia, rightly so. It might be a watered-down T20 team. And that's not a bad thing. At the start of the season, I alluded to the fact that we are going to have to use a lot of players," said Mark Boucher.
Mark Boucher said that this is an opportunity for the guys to put their hands up as they haven’t played much cricket off-late.
PAK v SA 2021: “We’re confident of team’s safety in Pakistan,” says SA coach Mark Boucher
"This is an opportunity for guys to put their hands up. We haven't played a lot of cricket, there haven't been a lot of A tours and even though it's not ideal to throw guys into the deep end and make them play international cricket when they are maybe not ready, there are not many other choices at the moment. Some will be pushed into the deep end and we will see how they respond," he said.
Mark Boucher, 44, also said that the same will apply to the team management, with him coming back with Test players while assistant coach Enoch Nkwe staying back with the squad in Pakistan for the T20I series.
"The initial talk was that Enoch might stay over in Pakistan and finish off the series and I will come back. We are trying to split the management as well as we can to show the importance of both series. We are preparing for most of our management to come back and one or two of them staying over," he said.
Although the fixtures and venues for the Australia series are yet to be confirmed, provisional dates have the first Test scheduled to start on February 18.
The short turnaround could mean that some red-ball players, including Test captain, Quinton de Kock could return home on February 8, after the second Test, in order to prepare for Australia.
(ANI inputs)
