Cricket South Africa (CSA) have moved swiftly to reiterate their support for four-day Test cricket after a news report claimed that they were not in favour of the format.
The Daily Mail reported that the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia could face opposition from CSA should they formally endorse a proposal to make four-day Tests mandatory from 2023 onwards.
A terse CSA statement issued on Tuesday morning read: "In view of an unsourced and misleading report in the media this morning‚ please be advised that it is Cricket South Africa’s official policy to support four-day Test match cricket.
"We‚ in fact‚ hosted the first official four-day Test match between ourselves and Zimbabwe a couple of years ago.”
SA have indeed played a four-day Test when they hosted Zimbabwe in a Boxing Day encounter at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth.
In what was also SA's first home day-night Test‚ they won that game by a comfortable innings and 125 runs.
In their only innings‚ South Africa made 309/9 with Aiden Markram top-scoring with 125.
Zimbabwe were rolled over for 68 and 121 as the game ended in two days.
