Icon status for Proteas v Eng
2008-07-16 19:32
London - Future Test series between England and South Africa have been granted "Icon" status, meaning that the teams will contest five-match Test series instead of four.
Supported by the International Cricket Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa conferred the status upon the teams' meetings from 2009-10.
"This is a wonderful recognition for the standard of South African cricket," Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse said.
"It is also important to emphasise the fact that Test cricket remains the ultimate level of international competition and this is born out by this latest agreement between our two boards."
When the teams met for the first time in 29 years in 1994, they contested just three Tests - just one more than the minimum requirement under the ICC's Future Tours Programme.
Of the six series between the two countries since South Africa's readmission to world cricket following the end of its apartheid system, each side has won two and the other two have been drawn.
The teams' current four-Test series in England is level after the first match at Lord's ended in a draw on Monday.
- SAPA