West Indies Looking to Host South Africa in September but Waiting for IPL 2020 Dates, Says CWI CEO Johnny Grave

Kingston, July 24: The West Indies wants to host South Africa for either a five-match T20I series or a two-Test rubber in September but is waiting for the announcement of the rescheduled IPL's full fixtures, said Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave.

The South African team was scheduled to tour the Caribbean to play two Tests and five T20s from July 23 to August 16 but the visit was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We very much hope that South Africa will be able to come here in September for either a T20-only tour or a Test-only tour at the very least," Grave told Starcom Radio's Mason and Guests cricket show. England vs West Indies Live Score Updates 3rd Test 2020, Day 1.

"It will be dependent on the IPL. South Africa have a number of their Test players who have IPL contracts, whereas in this current Test team we don't have any IPL players."

The eagerly-awaited Indian Premier League will start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the final slated on November 8, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel said on Friday. The event's Governing Council will meet next week to chalk out the final details and approve the schedule.

"We won't be able to play Test cricket against South Africa during the IPL – Cricket South Africa have made that very clear to us. They've got a commitment to their players to allow them to go and play in the IPL," Grave said.

West Indies is currently locked in a three-Test series in England. Once the ongoing third Test ends, the West Indies cricketers will be playing at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which is expected to be held between August 18 and September 10.

"The plan as we are working on now is that the players would come home (from England), they will have the weekend at home. Those that are in the Caribbean Premier League will head down to Trinidad on probably August 3 so it's a quick turnaround," Grave said.

"CPL finishes September 10. We hope very much that South Africa will follow immediately after that. Whether we can get the full tour in or we're going to have to look at a split tour between the Tests and the T20s, we don't know.

"We obviously hear and read that India are trying to get the IPL towards the back end of September either in India, which I know is their preferred choice, or the UAE, which is their backup choice, but there's been no announcement on that yet." According to BCCI sources, the eagerly-awaited IPL will start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the final slated on November 8.

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