Australia will tour South Africa for a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match Test series in September-October 2026, marking their first Test tour to the country in eight years since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal at Cape Town.
The highly anticipated series brings together the last two World Test Championship winners, with Pat Cummins’ Australia facing Temba Bavuma’s reigning WTC champions in what promises to be a blockbuster clash between two cricketing titans across both formats, featuring a return to Newlands where Australian cricket was shaken to its core.
Australia Tour of South Africa 2026 Schedule
The tour begins with three ODIs starting from 24 September, before the Test series kicks off on 9 October, culminating at Cape Town’s iconic Newlands.
| Match | Date | Venue | IST | GMT | Local Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | September 24 | Kingsmead, Durban | 1:30 PM | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 2nd ODI | September 27 | Wanderers, Johannesburg | 1:30 PM | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 3rd ODI | September 30 | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom (D/N) | 5:00 PM | 11:30 AM | 1:30 PM |
| Warm-up Match | October 3-4 | JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| 1st Test | October 9-13 | Kingsmead, Durban | 1:00 PM | 7:30 AM | 9:30 AM |
| 2nd Test | October 18-22 | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | 1:30 PM | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 3rd Test | October 27-31 | Newlands, Cape Town | 1:30 PM | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
Australia vs South Africa Head-to-Head Record
These cricketing giants last faced each other in the 2023 World Test Championship final at The Oval, where Australia emerged victorious by 209 runs to claim their first WTC title.
Test Matches Head-to-Head
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 102 | 54 | 27 | 21 | 52.94% |
| South Africa | 102 | 27 | 54 | 21 | 26.47% |
ODI Head-to-Head
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 113 | 52 | 57 | 3 | 47.76% |
| South Africa | 113 | 57 | 52 | 3 | 52.23% |
Australia Tour of South Africa 2026 Squads
Pat Cummins will lead Australia while Temba Bavuma captains South Africa in this historic series.
Official squads have not been announced yet for either format. Both teams are expected to finalize their selections closer to the tour.
Australia Probable Test Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Peter Handscomb, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann
Australia Probable ODI Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott, Josh Inglis, Matthew Short, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Tanveer Sangha, Spencer Johnson, Lance Morris, Aaron Hardie, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis
South Africa Probable Test Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Zubayr Hamza, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada
South Africa Probable ODI Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Rubin Hermann, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Prenelan Subrayen, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger
Australia Tour of South Africa 2026 Live Streaming and Broadcast Details
| Country | TV Broadcaster | Live Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Fox Cricket | Kayo Sports |
| South Africa | SuperSport | DStv Now |
| India | Star Sports Network | Disney+ Hotstar |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Cricket | Sky Go, NOW TV |
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Australia Tour of South Africa 2026 Tickets
Tickets for the Australia vs South Africa ODI and Test series will be available approximately one month before the series begins. Fans can purchase tickets through official platforms, including Cricket South Africa’s website and authorized ticketing partners.
Detailed pricing, seating categories, and online booking information will be announced closer to the tour dates. Stay updated through official Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia channels for ticket sales announcements.
