THE topic of franchise T20 competitions having a negative impact on the longer format of the game has been discussed at length.
And the chickens have finally come home to roost for South Africa, as only half of the squad will land in the Caribbean today for the two-match Test series, with the other half scattered all around the world.
Kagiso Rabada, Nandr Burger, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Lungi Ngidi and Dane Piedt were not a part of the Proteas preparations for the Windies tour, as some were on T20 duty in the US and the UK.
Not having the full squad preparing for a series has its repercussions, but in South Africas case, the repercussions are amplified by the very little cricket that they have been scheduled to play by the International Cricket Council as compared to the amount of Tests that the big three India, England and Australia encounter in the same cycle.
The last time South Africa donned their whites was in January at Newlands during the India series.
