SA contemplating expanding Indian Test series next summer

South Africa is considering expanding the Test part of touring India’s full series next summer, and it is believed that Cricket South Africa (CSA) is already in talks with their Indian counterparts to stretch the Test series from three to four matches.

As things stand on the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), the teams are due to play three Tests at the height of the 2013/14 season, as many as seven one-day internationals, and two Twenty20 contests, but now the programme may be revised, presumably with some clipping of the ODI agenda, to feature four Tests, Sports24 reports.

According to senior cricket writer Rob Houwing, CSA is keen to maximise resurgent public interest in Graeme Smith’s currently No 1-ranked Test side, and enlarge the home Test programme for 2013/14 from six to seven Tests with Australia also due to visit the rainbow nation nearer the end of the season for three Tests.

After the current series against Pakistan is completed, the Proteas have a hiatus in Test activity for several months, the paper reported.

South Africa only return to Test action at the start of the 2013/14 season in October, and that is initially away to Pakistan in the neutral United Arab Emirates.

When asked if he was disappointed at the lengthy gap for his raging Test charges after the end of the home obligations against Pakistan, captain Smith replied they would get to know how schedules work, adding some years there are more Tests, and other years there are more ODIs and T20s, saying the schedule has its ebbs and flows.

Smith added there is a bigger break this year, but series against Pak in UAE will be a big challenge for us as No 1, and he also said he expects those conditions to spin. Smith further said there is talk of the India series now having more Tests in it, so that’s exciting.