KOLKATA: Why would it? No batter in the top 35 Test run-scorers in this cycle and Kagiso Rabada not figuring among the top-10 wicket-takers, South Africa are not exactly the poster boys of cricket. At a time when the highest validation comes in the form of five-Test tours against India, South Africa could only host them for two in 2024.
ICC's points system may come under scrutiny for allowing South Africa to make the cut with just six wins, none of which, by the way, have come against higher-ranked teams. And with India winning the New Year's Test at Cape Town, South Africa's home record too has lost a bit of sheen.
Further eroding their position was the decision to send a second-string squad—naming seven rookies in the 14-man side—to New Zealand to ensure participation of their top players in the domestic T20 tournament earlier this year. It led to a backlash led by the redoubtable Steve Waugh, who slammed South Africa for "not caring" enough for Test cricket.
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