South Africa and Australia have not played against each other in Tests since the Sandpapergate series in South Africa in 2018. They have since met in three ODIs in South Africa in March 2020, which South Africa won 3-0, and at the 2021 T20 World Cup, which Australia won, but were set to headline the 2021 summer with three Tests. Plans were underway for the series to take place, and CSA had made extensive arrangements to accommodate Australia, but they pulled out of the tour citing concerns over the pandemic, leaving CSA “disappointed and frustrated“.