Australia are scheduled to return to Cape Town in October for a Test match for the first time since the infamous ball-tampering incident of 2018.
The schedule of Australia's three-Test series in South Africa has been released, with matches to be played in Durban and Gkebarha (formerly Port Elizabeth) before the final at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
Australia will also play a three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa in September.
South Africa defeated Australia 3-1 in four Tests in 2018, but it was the third Test in Cape Town that made headlines around the world when the Sandpapergate scandal broke and led to a 322-run defeat on the third day.
Following this, captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were sent home ahead of the fourth Test. Subsequently, Cricket Australia banned Smith and Warner from international and domestic cricket in Australia for 12 months and banned Bancroft for nine months.
Smith is set to return with the team in October. The bowling quartet of captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are the only other current squad members left from the Newlands team eight years ago.
While Smith returned to South Africa in early 2020 for a series of white-ball fixtures, this tour will mark his first Test in the country following the ball-tampering scandal. He is likely to return as Cummins' vice-captain.
Australia's ball tampering scandal came to light during the 2018 Cape Town Test against South Africa. (Gallo Images via Getty: Ashley Vlotman)
This series will be crucial for Australia's World Test Championship hopes. South Africa are the reigning World Test champions after defeating Australia in the final at Lord's last year.
Australia are on top of the World Test Championship ladder with seven wins from eight matches. New Zealand is in second place and South Africa is in third place.
The Australians, who will play Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay in a two-Test series in August, will host New Zealand in a four-Test series on their return from South Africa before touring India early next year, where five Tests will be played for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The South Africa series has emerged as a major challenge for Australia's top order, which struggled to handle superstar fast bowler Kagiso Rabada at Lord's last year.
Rabada took nine wickets in the match and was well supported by Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi in a formidable pace attack.
AAP