Pakistan to play traditional festive season Tests in SA, Proteas starved of red-ball fixtures

• Cricket South Africa confirmed on Friday the 2024/25 international home season.
• The Proteas men will host Sri Lanka and Pakistan in two inbound tours, playing only three more Tests in 2024.
• Meanwhile, the Proteas women will host England in an all-format tour from November.
• For more on the Proteas, visit News24's dedicated section.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday revealed their national schedule for the 2024/25 international home season, and the big takeaway is that there are just three more Test matches this year for the Proteas men's side. 

The international summer kicks off in August with a South Africa 'A' tour against Sri Lanka 'A', which consists of three 50-over matches and two 4-day games.

Following June's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, the Proteas will take on Sri Lanka in two Tests and then host an all-format tour against Pakistan over the festive season.

The Proteas will take on Sri Lanka in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban from 27 November - 1 December, before St George's Park in Gqeberha hosts the second Test from 5-9 December.

Pakistan will then tour South Africa in December for an all-format tour that includes the traditional Boxing Day Test at Centurion and the New Year's Test at Newlands in Cape Town.

The Pink Day ODI, meanwhile, has been marked for 22 December at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Tickets go on sale on 19 August.

"As we eagerly anticipate the 2024/25 home international season, it once again holds the promise of exhilarating encounters," said CSA CEO, Pholetsi Moseki. 

"As we open our doors to esteemed cricketing nations like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England, we not only showcase the talent and competitiveness of South African cricket but also celebrate the global appeal and camaraderie inherent in our beloved sport.

"These fixtures serve as a platform to not just compete, but to foster bonds between nations, uniting players and fans alike in the shared love for cricket."

Meanwhile, the Proteas women will host England in a multi-format tour.

The tour will consist of three T20Is, three ODIs and the first women's Test in South Africa since 2002.

The four-day encounter will be staged at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein from 15-18 December.