Cricket South Africa (Twitter)
Not a single match of the Australian Cricket Tour to South Africa which is starting on Wednesday will be broadcast on the SABC.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday night, saying despite protracted negotiations they could not reach agreeable terms to secure broadcast rights.
CSA expressed their disappointment but said it would continue to engage with the Public Broadcaster to find common ground.
While they are disappointed at the prospect of many South Africans missing out on coverage of the thrill of the much-awaited Australia series, it reaffirms its commitment to making cricket accessible to all South Africans.
CSA says the public broadcaster is pursuing avenues to fulfil its mandate of providing cricket coverage for the majority of South Africans, while CSA is unwavering in its quest to ensure that cricket reaches all corners of the country.
It says the partnership has in the past provided mutually beneficial value and they believe it to be in the interest of both the parties’ stakeholders that such a partnership be maintained into the future.
The month-long tour is part of the Proteas' preparations for the upcoming World Cup in India.
Kingsmead will host the T20 internationals, with the first taking place on Thursday and the second fixture on Friday.
The five-match ODI series starts in Bloemfontein on the 7th of September with the last match at the Wanderers on the 17th.
