Cricket South Africa interim director of cricket Graeme Smith will reportedly be appointed in a full-time capacity next month.

Smith agreed to the interim post late last year, prior to commentary commitments in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.

The start of this year’s IPL has been delayed from 29 March to 15 April and might be further delayed amid preventative measures against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

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‘We are in final negotiations and hope to make an announcement next week,’ said CSA acting chief executive officer Jacques Faul about Smith.

Whether the Proteas’ tour of Sri Lanka for three ODIs and as many T20Is will go ahead, meanwhile, remains in the balance.

‘We have to review the situation every week, but we estimate we would need around six weeks before any tour,’ added Smith.

South Africa were in India when the the threat posed by the virus had plenty of international cricket suspended. The Proteas returned home after just one ODI in Dharamsala. They were meant to play two more in Lucknow and Kolkata. The Australia Women’s tour of South Africa was cancelled in the same week.

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