Postponed Test matches between South Africa and Australia to be replaced by white-ball matches

In August 2023, South Africa will host Australia for five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals in place of the three Tests that were originally scheduled for March 2021 but had to be postponed due to Covid-19. 

Test matches, which were part of the World Test Championship cycle from 2019 to 2021, will be replaced by these eight white-ball matches. In addition, these white ball fixtures will act as a preparation for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Cricket South Africa is not expected to lose any money due to the change, according to ESPNcricinfo. The white-ball matches will generate the same amount of revenue for the CSA as the three Tests, which is why they have agreed to the change. The only concern is that the fans will now have seven fewer days of cricket.

South Africa will also play their first festive Test series in Australia since 2008 in late 2022, with three matches scheduled in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. In addition, as part of the World Cup Super League, they will also play three One-Day Internationals. Those matches are scheduled to take place after the Test in January 2023, but the CSA is concerned that they might clash with its new franchise T20 league and is in talks to have them played earlier, possibly before the Tests.

Since the Sandpapergate series in South Africa in 2018, South Africa and Australia have not played a Test match. They've since met in three ODIs in March 2020 in South Africa, in which South Africa won 3-0, and at the 2021 T20 World Cup, which Australia won.

The three Tests were set to headline the summer of 2021. The series was scheduled to begin, and CSA had made extensive arrangements to accommodate Australia, but they cancelled due to concerns about the pandemic, leaving CSA "disappointed and frustrated."

Cricket Australia had previously stated that August 2023 would be a good time to reschedule the Tests, but there would have been no points at stake because these matches are not part of the ongoing WTC cycle.