South Africa is set to host the 2024 U-19 World Cup, but David Teeger, the Proteas captain, has stepped down from his role. He stepped down as captain because people were worried about possible protests due to his supportive comments about the Israel Army. Cricket South Africa (CSA) released a statement, stating that Teeger’s presence as captain could lead to unrest among supporters.

Teeger had expressed his support for the Israel Army in late 2023, two weeks after Hamas’ attack on the country during the conflict in Gaza. Despite an investigation into his comments, CSA initially cleared him to play and appointed him captain. However, ahead of the U-19 World Cup, they decided to relieve him of his captaincy due to concerns about potential disruptions.

The tournament was supposed to be in Sri Lanka, but it had to change to South Africa because the ICC suspended the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. The U-19 World Cup will now take place in smaller grounds like Benoni, Potchefstroom, Kimberley, and East London, as South Africa is also currently hosting SA20.

“After a few sleepless nights wondering if I am making the right decision, I have decided to retire from red-ball cricket. It’s a difficult decision that I have made because it is by far my favourite format of the game,” Klassen said in a statement.

“The battles that I faced on and off the field have made me the cricketer I am today. It has been a great journey and I am glad I could have represented my country. My baggy Test cap is the most precious cap I have ever been handed,” he added.

Klaasen did not reveal the reason for his sudden retirement from Test but said he will continue to be available for South Africa in the ODIs and T20Is.
The 32-year-old had a brief career in Tests, having played only four Tests after earning his debut in 2019.

Although he did not play in the recent India series, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad implied that Klaasen would have been included in the Test team for their upcoming tours of West Indies and Bangladesh later this year.

Cricket pitches can be rated as very good, good, average, below average, poor, or unfit. Ratings in the last two categories may result in demerit points, ranging from one to five, and possible suspension. Very good, good, and average ratings are acceptable, while below average may lead to a milder penalty. A poor or unfit rating is expected in this case. Match referee Chris Broad’s rating will determine the pitch sanctions. The global cricket governing body, based in Dubai, releases its decision after evaluating the match referee’s rating. The final decision is likely to be announced on Monday, January 8. The pitch for the first Test at Centurion, which ended within three days, is also being examined.

Here are the five shortest matches in the 147-year history of Test cricket:
India vs. South Africa, 2024 (642 balls):

The match at Newlands became the shortest Test in history. South Africa batted first but were dismissed for just 55 runs before lunch. India, in their turn, scored 153, losing their last six wickets for zero runs. Aiden Markram’s century in the second innings wasn’t enough, and India won by seven wickets in just 107 overs

Australia vs. South Africa, 1935 (656 balls):
South Africa set a record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by scoring a combined total of 81 in two innings. Bert Ironmonger’s exceptional performance, with figures of 5 wickets for 6 runs, led Australia to an innings victory by 72 runs.
West Indies vs. England, 1935 (672 balls):

In a unique match in Bridgetown, England secured a four-wicket win. Both teams made tactical declarations to maximize the bowler-friendly conditions. England bowled out the West Indies for 102, declared at 81-7, and the West Indies declared at 51-6, setting England a target of 75. Wally Hammond’s unbeaten 29 guided England to victory.
England vs. Australia, 1888 (788 balls):

WG Grace’s top score of 38 led England to an innings victory at Old Trafford. After England’s sensible first day with 172 runs, Bobby Peel’s exceptional bowling (7-31 and 4-37) caused Australia to collapse twice, scoring 81 and 70.
England vs. Australia, 1888 (792 balls):

Just six weeks earlier, Australia beat England by 61 runs at Lord’s. A record 27 wickets fell on the second day. Australia, with a first-innings score of 116, bowled out England for 53. Although Australia only managed 60 in their second innings, England fell short of the 124-run target, and Charlie Turner’s five-wicket haul led to England’s dismissal for 62 in 47.4 overs

Australian cricket luminary David Warner singles out former South African speedster Dale Steyn as the most formidable bowler he has encountered throughout his illustrious career. As Warner bids adieu for his ODI career and prepares to retire from Test cricket following his farewell game against Pakistan starting Wednesday, he reminisces about the demanding clashes with Steyn during the 2016-17 home series.

In a candid revelation, Warner recounts the challenging 45-minute session at the WACA, where Steyn’s express pace troubled both him and Shaun Marsh. Quoted by cricket.com.au, Warner humorously recalls, ”

Shaun came down to me and said, ‘I can’t pull him, so I don’t know how we’re going to go about facing him.’ He put me on my backside, and I think he broke his shoulder as well that game.”

As part of his reflections on his career, Warner shares insights into Steyn’s fierce competitiveness and ability to swing the ball back into the left-hander, drawing parallels with Mitchell Starc’s skill against right-handers. Despite Warner’s acknowledgment of Steyn’s fiery demeanor on the field, the veteran Australian batter emphasised the absence of a smile or leeway from the renowned South African bowler.

In other cricket developments, Australia opted to stick with an unchanged lineup, foregoing a second spinner in the final Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Skipper Pat Cummins confirms the recovery of Australia’s fast-bowling trio after their victory in the second Test in Melbourne, securing the three-match series with a tense 79-run win.

On the Pakistani side, two strategic changes were made, with Test debutant Saim Ayub opening the innings in place of Imam-Ul-Haq and off-spinner Sajid Khan taking the place of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the final Test.

Under the radiant sunshine at Newlands, South Africa’s captain, Dean Elgar, won the toss and chose to bat in the second and conclusive Test against India. The home team aims for a series sweep against the top-ranked side in the world.

South Africa have implemented three changes to their victorious squad from the first Test in Pretoria, where they dominated on a lively pitch, winning by an innings and 32 runs.

Making his debut in the middle order, Tristan Stubbs steps in for the injured regular captain, Temba Bavuma. Spinner Keshav Maharaj celebrates his 50th cap, taking the place of the injured Gerald Coetzee, and seamer Lungi Ngidi replaces Keegan Petersen as the hosts opt for an additional bowler.

Expressing his thoughts on the wicket, Elgar remarked:

“It looks like an interesting wicket, a few snakes in it; hopefully it comes to the fore when we bowl. It is a big hurdle for us and a big test; this is our marquee game of the season. We have to start well.”

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, admitted that he would have chosen to bat first had he won the toss, as the visitors also made two changes. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, recovered from back spasms, replaces Ravichandran Ashwin, while seamer Mukesh Kumar steps in for Shardul Thakur to play his second Test.

Rohit shared his perspective, saying:

“There will be enough on the pitch for the seamers, so hopefully we can cash in on it. It is important for us to forget what has happened in the past; it is about the present.”

The match marks the final appearance of Elgar’s illustrious 12-year Test career, as he announced his retirement ahead of the series.

South Africa XI:

– Dean Elgar (capt.)

– Aiden Markram

– Tony de Zorzi

– Tristan Stubbs

– David Bedingham

– Kyle Verreynne

– Marco Jansen

– Keshav Maharaj

– Kagiso Rabada

– Nandre Burger

– Lungi Ngidi

India XI:

– Rohit Sharma (capt.)

– Yashasvi Jaiswal

– Shubman Gill

– Virat Kohli

– Shreyas Iyer

– KL Rahul

– Ravindra Jadeja

– Jasprit Bumrah

– Mohammed Siraj

– Prasidh Krishna

– Mukesh Kumar.

India’s hopes for their inaugural series triumph in South Africa suffered a significant setback with a comprehensive loss in the first Test. As they gear up for the next match, South Africa is determined to bid farewell to Elgar on a winning note. Elgar, captaining in place of the injured Bavuma, is in excellent form after scoring an impressive 185 in the previous Test. India, looking to revamp their bowling attack, is expected to bring back Jadeja for Ashwin. Additionally, changes in the bowling lineup are likely, with Avesh Khan or Mukesh Kumar in contention. The Indian batsmen, apart from Kohli and Rahul, struggled against South Africa’s pace attack in the previous Test. Conditions at Newlands may offer some assistance to the bowlers, despite being less favorable to fast bowling than Centurion. South Africa faces selection challenges, with Bavuma and Coetzee ruled out, and decisions to be made regarding Maharaj, Hamza, and Stubbs. Ngidi is expected to be fit, providing a boost to the host team. The squads for both teams and the match officials are as follows:

South Africa:

Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Zubayr Hamza, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger.
India:

Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, KS Bharat (wkt), Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Match Officials:

Umpires: Ahsan Raza (PAK), Langton Rusere (ZIM)
TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

South Africa decided to focus on their Twenty20 competition instead of going on a planned tour of New Zealand. Waugh is disappointed and feels they don’t care. South Africa picked a 14-man squad with seven new players and a new captain, Neil Brand, who hasn’t played international cricket yet. Waugh worries that important events like the Boxing Day Test might have difficulties in the future.

“It’s going to happen if the South African Cricket Board are any indication of the future, keeping their best players at home,” he said. “If I was New Zealand I wouldn’t even play the series. I don’t know why they’re even playing. Why would you when it shows a lack of respect for New Zealand cricket?

“It’s pretty obvious what the problem is. The West Indies aren’t sending their full-strength side [to Austalia this summer]. They haven’t picked a full-strength Test team for a couple of years now.

“Someone like Nicholas Pooran is really a Test batsman who doesn’t play Test cricket. Jason Holder, probably their best player, is not playing now. Even Pakistan didn’t send a full side [to Australia].

“If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly then Test cricket doesn’t become Test cricket because you’re not testing yourself against the best players.

“I understand why players don’t come. They’re not getting paid properly. I don’t understand why ICC or the top countries who are making a lot of money don’t just have a regulation set fee for Test matches which is a premium, so people are incentivised to play Test Cricket.

“Otherwise they just play T10 or T20. The public are the ones who are going to suffers because it’s not the full side playing, so it’s not Test cricket.

The rich Board of Control for Cricket in India asks for and gets a bigger portion of ICC money, even though many other countries lose money on Test cricket.

In his second one-day international, Burger bowled impressively, taking three wickets for 30 runs. Despite half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan (62) and captain KL Rahul (56), India were all out for 211. South Africa’s De Zorzi, playing in his fourth match, scored an unbeaten 119, marking his first international century. South Africa won with 7.3 overs to spare, setting up a series decider in Paarl on Thursday, following India’s eight-wicket victory in the first match in Johannesburg on Sunday. Burger, taking advantage of the well-grassed St George’s Park pitch, played a key role after South African captain Aiden Markram chose to bowl first.

“It was a tough wicket to bat on,” said Rahul. “But a couple of us got set. If one of us could have gone on to make a big hundred and control the innings we could have got 60 runs extra.”

Burger consistently bowled at a steady pace with occasional steep bounces. His fastest delivery reached a speed of 147 km/h.

Openers Sudharsan and Rahul showed sensible batting in a third-wicket partnership of 68. Sudharsan got caught behind by Lizaad Williams on a sharply-lifting ball when the total reached 114.

No other batsman managed to score over 20 runs.

Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh caused trouble for South Africa’s opening pair, Hendricks and De Zorzi. Hendricks got a lifeline when he was dropped at second slip by Ruturaj Gaikwad off Kumar, but he capitalized on it, scoring 52 in an opening stand of 130 with De Zorzi, significantly contributing to the home team’s victory.

“It was a much better all-round performance,” said Markram. “It was still quite a tough wicket when the openers walked out. To put on a hundred partnership to set the game up was great.”

De Zorzi, the Man of the Match, played aggressively, hitting powerful shots to score runs. He faced 122 balls, striking nine fours and six sixes.

Murshida Khatun and the Bangladesh Women’s spinners played a crucial role in securing their team’s first ODI victory against South Africa Women since 2017. Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series by winning convincingly in East London with a 119-run margin while defending their highest ODI total of 250.

Murshida, scoring a career-best 91 not out off 100 balls, led the batting charge. Despite everyone getting starts, no other batter surpassed 38. After a 66-run opening stand by Fargana Hoque and Shamima Sultana, Murshida anchored the innings, forming partnerships of 44 with Fargana, 80 with captain Nigar Sultana, and an unbeaten 60 with Shorna Akter.

In the chase, South Africa struggled, reduced to 9 for 2 in the third over, with Sultana Khatun dismissing Laura Wolvaardt and Marufa Akter trapping Tazmin Brits lbw. Although Anneke Bosch and Sune Luus tried to stabilize with a 41-run partnership, Nahida Akter’s left-arm spin triggered a collapse, reducing South Africa from 50 for 2 in the 13th over to 95 for 8 in the 27th.

Debutant Eliz-mari Marx and tailender Masabata Klaas frustrated Bangladesh with a 36-run partnership. However, Sultana Khatun and Nahida wrapped up the innings in five balls. Nahida finished with figures of 3 for 33, while Sultana Khatun, Rabeya Khan, and Fahima Khatun claimed two wickets each.

The second ODI is scheduled for Wednesday in Potchefstroom.