Former Australian Test quick Ryan Harris believes the forthcoming tour to South Africa will go ahead.
There’s been plenty of conjecture about when Australia will next play Test cricket, with a three-Test tour of South Africa tentatively pencilled in for February.
Due to the current uncertainty over travel due to COVID-19, Cricinfo reported in December that the tour could be moved to Perth to ensure it could proceed.
But speaking on SEN Test Cricket, Harris reported that the three-match series will go ahead and Australia is scheduled to depart on February 24.
“It’s been a big discussion point, especially in the last couple of days about what’s next for Australia and what’s next in the current (climate with COVID),” he said.
“South Africa is next, I’ve found out this morning that (the team) is leaving on February 24, they are going which is good news.
“Depending on what happens (in this series), that’s going to be huge for the Test Championship.
“It sounds like it’s in Johannesburg – I’m not exactly sure whether it’s two tests (at the Wanderers Ground) or in Centurion, but I think that’s good news.
“Sri Lanka have been there recently, England made it but didn’t quite make it on the field because of some COVID outbreaks, but it’s great that they’re going to have some more cricket and at least they know where they’re going to be in the next few months.
“And more importantly it’s great that they’ll have a break before going into another bubble.”
England’s recent tour of South Africa was cut short due to multiple COVID-19 cases at both the hotel they were staying at and within their playing group, highlighting the fragility of the pandemic in the country.
Three T20s were played as scheduled in November and December, but three ODIs were cancelled as a result of the positive cases.