South Africa’s Exchangeable Pitch System Could Change 2027 World Cup Conditions

South Africa is preparing an Exchangeable Pitch System (EPS) to keep cricket pitches fresh ahead of the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, which the country will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

EPS is the system that will allow grounds to swap pitches in and out of the playing square, helping prevent surfaces from deteriorating under the pressure of a packed cricket calendar.

CSA pitch consultant Hilbert Smit said the system was developed because grounds could not afford to take existing pitches out of service for long periods.

How the System Works

Unlike Australia’s traditional drop-in pitches, South Africa’s system uses surfaces built specifically for each venue using its usual soil and grass varieties.

The pitches are grown in steel trays on the outfield, separately from the main square. This allows ground staff to control fertility, moisture and grass growth without affecting the surrounding playing surfaces.

"On the turf side, there is absolutely nothing different to building a new pitch," Smit said. "The difference is that these pitches are being built in a confined area."

The process from planting the grass to producing a match-ready pitch takes at least 18 months. CSA has deliberately adopted a cautious timeline after problems with pitches used at the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York.

Six SA20 venues — Wanderers, Kingsmead, Newlands, St George's Park, Boland Park and SuperSport Park — have agreed to participate in the EPS programme.

Wanderers Leads the Way

The Wanderers is currently the furthest ahead after planting its first exchangeable pitch in 2024.

It became the first venue to host a professional match on an exchangeable surface when the Lions faced the Dolphins in a provincial one-day match in March.

The pitch received a rating of 7.5 out of 10 from captains and match officials. The Lions won after Zubayr Hamza scored an unbeaten 119 and Reeza Hendricks made 73.

Former Newlands and Wanderers groundsman Evan Flint, now a consultant at Kingsmead, said the surface retained the venue's familiar characteristics.

Designed for White-Ball Cricket

The exchangeable surfaces are primarily being developed as "white-ball solutions", although CSA sees potential for wider use in the future.

For now, none of the exchangeable pitches will be used for Test cricket. The Wanderers is the only venue that could potentially use its exchangeable surface during the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Could It Affect the 2027 World Cup?

Smit asserted that the technology could eventually allow South African venues to maintain fresher pitches despite an increasingly crowded cricket calendar.

At present, however, most exchangeable pitches are unlikely to be ready for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The Wanderers is the only venue understood to have a realistic possibility of using its exchangeable pitch at the tournament, as its surface has already been in the square for a year, he said.

Pitch Swapping Could Increase Ground Usage

The process is already becoming faster. At the Wanderers, moving the first exchangeable pitch took 11 days because it was a new experience for the ground staff. At Kingsmead, the operation was recently completed in less than a day.

Lessons From 2024 T20 World Cup in New York

CSA's approach has also been shaped by the problems encountered at the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York, where pitches were criticised for inconsistent performances and the ICC later rated the New York and Tarouba surfaces unsatisfactory., Smit said.

The exchangeable pitch system is still in its early stages, but CSA expects it to become increasingly important as South Africa's cricket calendar grows and major grounds face greater demands on their playing surfaces.