CSA refutes claims of weakened Proteas for New Zealand Tour

The second SA20 season begins on 10 January and runs until 10 February 2024, while the first day of the first Test away will be on 4 February. 

Due to contractual obligations, several key players will not be available for the tour. However, Moseki is adamant the squad they will be sending Down Under will still have quality.

"When you people [meida] say it's a weaker side, I think it's unfair for the people that will ultimately go to represent South Africa in New Zealand. For us, obviously, the next milestone is the SA20 auction and based on that then the coaches will know which players are available to take there," Moseki told SABC Sport

"We are gonna wait up until after the auction but there's already plans in place. So, I refuse to believe that any players that would be chosen by the coach will be happy to be called a weaker side,” he argued. 

Test players like captain Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Aiden Markram, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi have been retained by their SA20 franchises and therefore ruled out of the tour. Moseki believes this stance underlines CSA’s commitment not only to the SA20 league but also to strengthening depth through fringe players.

"SA20 is a priority [after the auction] the coaches will then know which players are available. If you look at all the countries globally, how many South Africans are playing for Scotland, Netherlands, Australia and England? Hence we are very reluctant to say the players who will go to New Zealand are a weakened side. 

It might not be there Themba's, the KG's and everyone else but whoever goes and represents South Africa will be quite good players as well."

Moseki concedes they’ve had to do a balancing act, to ensure the commitment to this league does not jeopardise relationships with other cricket stakeholders behind the Men’s Future Tours Programme.

"When we launched the SA20 last year, we said we'd give the best chance of success because it's very important for cricket in South Africa. But obviously, there were already commitments on that other side [with the FTP], but it's something we were aware of.  

"As an organisation, we needed to say: 'Ok, SA20, we can't compromise. But our relationship with fellow (International Cricket Council) ICC members is also very important.' So you need to find a way to balance both obligations... to ensure that we don't compromise on either."