Michael Clarke blasts South Africa cricket farce amid Test team backlash

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has followed a number of the game's greats to take aim at South Africa's decision to bring a weakened Test squad to New Zealand. South Africa copped international backlash this week with a number of the nation's top players told to stay at home, while uncapped Neil Brand will captain the overlapping tour to New Zealand.

South Africa recently beat India in a home Test but a ruling from Cricket South Africa, which determined no players contracted to SA20 franchises were eligible for selection, has left the side decimated. Only two players from the South African XI that defeated India, David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen, will tour.

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The move is a massive indication of South Africa's priorities, especially given the fact they currently lead the 2023-25 World Test Championship standings. This has created outrage with former Australian captain Steve Waugh blasting the decision and claiming it is a worrying indication of the future of cricket.

Clarke has echoed Waugh's comments and claimed South Africa's move is a worrying sign for the future of the game. The former Aussie captain said playing for your country should be the highest honour in cricket and sacrificing a Test series for lucrative domestic contracts is a 'sad' sign.

"I think nothing has changed in my opinion. It's sad to see, to be honest. I understand South Africa's reasoning, but Test cricket is the pinnacle in my eyes," Clarke said on ESPN Around the Wicket. "No domestic competition, in the world, should come in front of it.

"Playing for your country is the most important thing. It is sad to see this is the case. Imagine if Australia did this, imagine if India did this...fans want to see the best players play, but there is no doubt if the best players are not going to be picked for Test cricket, it's an uphill battle."

Cricket greats question South Africa decision

Waugh took to social media after the uproar and questioned whether it was a sign Test cricket was fading for many great nations. "Is this a defining moment in the death of Test cricket? History and tradition must count for something. If we stand by and allow profits to be the defining criteria the legacy of Bradman, Grace and Sobers will be irrelevant," he wrote.

Current Aussie captain Pat Cummins addressed the drama and said he hoped South Africa were going through a 'phase' and would bounce back in international Test cricket. South Africa moved to defend their decision after the backlash. "CSA has the utmost respect for the Test format as the pinnacle of the game we love," the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The dates for this tour were set when the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-2027 was finalised in 2022. The window for the SA20 had not been determined at that stage. Once it became apparent that there would be a clash, we made every effort to find another mutually suitable timeslot for this series in consultation with New Zealand Cricket.

"Regrettably the constraints imposed by the global cricket calendar rendered this impossible, as the games must be played before April 2025 as part of the World Test Championship. Our schedule for the remainder of the FTP has been managed to ensure that there will not be any further clashes between our bilateral commitments and the SA20."

As David Warner gears up for his final red-ball match for Australia, the Australian cricket great admitted the allure of high-paying T20 leagues across the world is greatly impacting Test cricket. Warner told the media on Monday that the onus is on cricket's governing bodies to ensure the longevity of Test cricket.

"I think the concerns are with the governing body, to make sure that the scheduling is well in place," he said. I don't think it's on my terms to comment about the South African seven debutants, but I think that's showing where it could be potentially heading and there's going to be a lot of conversations.

"We need to keep Test cricket alive, it's the pinnacle of the game and we absolutely love it. When you get the taste of it and you're out there five days toiling ... that's what Test cricket is all about. Hopefully, it can keep surviving."

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