India's two-day tour game ahead of their three-match Test series in South Africa has been cancelled, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Monday.
The Indians have instead, as per CSA, opted for training sessions- on those days.
"Please be advised that the two-day warm-up match for India at Eurolux Boland Park will no longer be taking place. India have opted for training sessions on those days," the CSA said in a release.
No official reason has been given for the cancellation of the warm-up game but the change in schedule would mean that India will head into the Test series — starting January 5 next year in Cape Town — without a practice match.
4 rookies to travel with team to SA as net pacers
In a bid to get quality practice against quick bowlers, India have shelved their plan of playing a tour game and instead summoned four rookie pacers to travel with the team to South Africa.
The quartet includes Hyderabad's Mohammad Siraj, Madhya Pradesh's Avesh Khan, Navdeep Saini of Delhi and Kerala's yorker specialist Basil Thampi.
All these bowlers are capable of hitting the mid 140s and have performed at the Ranji, IPl and India A level.
"These four are the next-in-line bowlers after the top five who are in the Test squad. Since the pacers in the Test squad should not be put under over exertion during the net sessions, it is only prudent that the next best lot of quick bowlers are there to provide quality practice," a BCCI official said.
India have always had the problems of quality net bowlers on overseas tours which greatly hampers the practice of the batsmen.