Fortunately, those kinds of issues are not currently present in India.
Dean Elgar expressed his sadness that South Africa would be sending a depleted team to play two Test matches in New Zealand in March, just before his 86th and final Test match.
On Tuesday, the eve of the second Test match between South Africa and India at Newlands, where Elgar would captain his country in his final game before quitting international cricket, he stated, “The situation we’ve been put in is not ideal.”
Cricket South Africa decided to give the SA20 franchise competition priority, thus only two of the players who won the first Test by an innings last week will be going to New Zealand. “The guys who are playing still have a lot of hunger for Test cricket, regardless of what has happened behind the scenes,” he stated.
The potential for “the guys going to New Zealand to put in performances and to eventually become regular members of the squad,” according to Elgar, was a positive aspect of the circumstances.
However, he swiftly clarified that the players had no influence over the choice to prioritize the Twenty20 competition over the Tests. “We have no influence over what goes on behind the scenes. The 36-year-old stated, “We, the coaches, and the team management, have no control over it. “It’s unfortunate that it has taken that turn. We have to concentrate on what we can concentrate on as players since we have no control over it.
According to Elgar’s Indian opponent Rohit Sharma, Test cricket is the best format in the game. At his pre-match press conference, he stated, “Obviously, Test cricket is the ultimate challenge for me.” “In that format, you would want to see the best players competing.” I’m not sure what the conversations are like within Cricket South Africa, but in my opinion, Test cricket deserves special attention and emphasis. Fortunately, India is not now facing those kinds of issues.
Sharma stated that Test cricket needed to be promoted by all nations. The 36-year-old stated, “It’s something all countries need to protect and give importance to.” “It is the duty of all participating nations to maintain a pleasant, lively, and competitive environment.”
Cricket administrators “have the responsibility to make the right decisions for players and the longevity of our format, especially our Test format,” according to Elgar. It’s up to the players to demonstrate their hunger for this format by going out and winning. I will always be a Test enthusiast, and I believe many of our guys share this sentiment.
Elgar expressed his wish for young athletes to have the same opportunities to experience what he experienced during his twelve years playing Test cricket. “It’s up to the guys who count the beans, but we can fight and push the format as hard as we can.
“Hopefully, moving forward, our players’ decisions will involve some sanity,” he remarked.
Elgar took issue with South Africa’s constrained Test schedule, which sees them play just two-match series against Australia and England before playing three matches against each nations in the 2026–2027 season.
“I think it’s not the best way for guys to learn about the format, so it would be sad for us to play with just two Test matches in a series going forward,” he stated.
Elgar, who amassed an impressive 185 in the opening Test, stated that it was crucial to concentrate on the game and not his personal circumstances with regard to the Test beginning today. Elgar remarked, “It’s a massive Test for us, our highlight Test of the year.”
“We need to get off to a strong start in our next game. We’ll worry about the retirement later.”