Enoch Nkwe confirms Proteas Test stars will return from IPL for WTC final preparations

Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) head of national teams, Enoch Nkwe, clarified on Tuesday – in an exclusive interview with Independent Media – that South Africa's senior national cricket team’s Test players will depart India from 26 May to join preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.

Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (both Mumbai Indians) are the eight Test players who returned to the IPL after the tournament was suspended last week due to geopolitical instability in the region.

The IPL is set to restart on Saturday following the interruption, with the South African players returning to the subcontinent this week to rejoin their respective franchises. Originally scheduled to conclude on May 25, the tournament will now host its final on June 3.

The influence of the BCCI and the IPL has raised concerns that the South African contingent may not be released until the tournament’s new end date. Should this scenario unfold, it would disrupt the Proteas’ preparations for their four-day warm-up fixture against Zimbabwe, which is set to begin on the same day as the IPL final.

Nkwe, however, reiterated that, as things currently stand, the players will return on 26 May as originally planned, allowing coach Shukri Conrad’s team sufficient preparation time for the WTC final.

The 42-year-old added that discussions are ongoing between CSA’s CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, the BCCI, and the IPL regarding South Africa’s players.

“Nothing has changed, as far as I’m concerned. As we speak, the matter is sitting with the big bosses – between CSA and the BCCI. I know the CEO has been engaging with the IPL as well,” Nkwe said.

“We haven’t moved from the original schedule. We are planning accordingly in terms of the final.

“We need days to prepare the guys for the Zimbabwe game, which is the warm-up match, because after that we don’t have much time before the final begins.”

With most of the Proteas’ Test players having last played red-ball cricket during the New Year’s Test against Pakistan at Newlands, the squad requires as much preparation time as possible.

The World Test Championship final is scheduled to take place from 11 to 15 June at Lord’s.