The suspension of the Indian Premier League might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Proteas.
South Africa’s IPL contingent jetted home before India’s borders slammed shut and now have more time to prepare for the recently scheduled series against the West Indies.
The Proteas will tour the Caribbean next month at the start of an intensive build-up to the T20 World Cup which is scheduled for India in October.
India’s handling of the coronavirus leaves that tournament up in the air but it is understood that the BCCI have already been working on a contingency plan where the tournament would be held in the UAE.
The Proteas had something of a yawning gulf in their schedule after wrapping up their home series against Pakistan.
Unsurprisingly the IPL window had been left blank by CSA as their best players would be in India.
Earlier this year the Proteas had only confirmed a series against Ireland in July but CSA are working to add series in Sri Lanka and India.
The tour to India is up in the air as that window could be used to conclude the IPL, but the Proteas T20 World Cup preparation is looking much better.
Mark Boucher and company will be faced with the task of trying to shoehorn AB de Villiers into the side to give him time to get back up to speed.
The Proteas could also use the series in the Caribbean to bring veterans Imran Tahir and Chris Morris back into the fold.
Marco Jansen’s start to the IPL suggests that his Proteas debut can’t be too far away either, but while the team seemingly have plenty of options, determining the best XI and World Cup squad of 15 must take priority now.
