Proteas
SA v India game ‘profiteering’
2012-03-12 15:36
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town - A poll answered by some 6000 cricket fans worldwide has slammed the one-off Twenty20 international between South Africa and India as “shameless profiteering”.
The countries, both coming off typically gruelling schedules, will lock horns at the Wanderers on March 30 in a match only added to Cricket South Africa’s 2011/12 Proteas’ itinerary in the last few days.
It has been billed as a tribute to master South African all-rounder
Jacques Kallis, although he last played for his country in the format against West Indies at North Sound in May 2010.
Cricket-specialist website ESPN Cricinfo offered three options for voting, on the topic of the game’s rather sudden addition to the Proteas’ and India’s obligations.
Almost 60% of the 6000 respondents opted for “shameless profiteering”, another 21.79% chose “populist scheduling for television”, whilst only 18.61% took the less cynical route of “good preparation for the ICC World T20”.
That event takes place in Sri Lanka in September and October.