South Africa announce bumper summer ahead of World Cup

Cape Town: South Africa will play three Test matches against Pakistan and two against Sri Lanka during their 2018/19 summer at home, Cricket South Africa announced on Monday.

South Africa will also host a total of 13 one-day internationals and nine Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan, who will tour South Africa for the first time since 2013/14, will play the prime holiday season Tests in December and January, with Centurion awarded the Test starting on December 26 and Cape Town the traditional New Year Test starting on January 3.

The third Test will be in Johannesburg from January 11.

Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.

Sri Lanka will play Tests in Durban and Port Elizabeth in February, to be followed by five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.

Zimbabwe will play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals at some of South Africa's smaller cricket venues.

Cricket South Africa acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said that the scheduled 13 one-day internationals during the season would enable the national team to fine tune their preparations for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.

Full itinerary:

South Africa vs Zimbabwe:

• September 30 : 1st Momentum ODI, Kimberley
• October 3 : 2nd Momentum ODI, Bloemfontein (D/N)
• October 6 : 3rd Momentum ODI, Paarl (D/N)
• October 9 : 1st KFC T20I, East London (D/N)
• October 12 : 2nd KFC T20I, Potchefstroom (D/N)
• October 14 : 3rd KFC T20I, Benoni

South Africa vs Pakistan

• December 26-30: 1st Sunfoil Test, Centurion
• January 3-7 : 2nd Sunfoil Test, Cape Town
• January 11-15 : 3rd Sunfoil Test, Johannesburg
• January 19 : 1st Momentum ODI, Port Elizabeth (D/N)
• January 22 : 2nd Momentum ODI, Durban (D/N)
• January 25 : 3rd Momentum ODI, Centurion (D/N)
• January 27 : 4th Momentum ODI, Johannesburg
• January 30 : 5th Momentum ODI, Cape Town (D/N)
• February 1 : 1st KFC T20I, Cape Town (D/N)
• February 3 : 2nd KFC T20I, Johannesburg
• February 6 : 3rd KFC T20I, Centurion (D/N)

South Africa vs Sri Lanka

• February 13-17 : 1st Sunfoil Test, Durban
• February 21-25 : 2nd Sunfoil Test, Port Elizabeth
• March 3 : 1st Momentum ODI, Johannesburg
• March 6 : 2nd Momentum ODI, Centurion (D/N)
• March 10 : 3rd Momentum ODI, Durban
• March 13 : 4th Momentum ODI, Port Elizabeth (D/N)
• March 16 : 5th Momentum ODI, Cape Town (D/N)
• March 19 : 1st KFC T20I, Cape Town (D/N)
• March 22 : 2nd KFC T20I, Centurion (D/N)
• March 24 : 3rd KFC T20I, Johannesburg