India, Sept. 29 -- South Africa are preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup with an infrastructural experiment that could influence the tournament before the first ball. Cricket South Africa's exchangeable pitch system, or EPS, is designed to ease the strain on the country's grounds without eroding the character that has set Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Centurion apart.

The concept differs from the conventional Australian drop-in model. Rather than producing a standardised surface for a multi-purpose stadium, South African venues are cultivating their own pitches in steel trays away from the main square, using local bulli soil, preferred Cynodon grass varieties and venue-specific preparation methods. Once mature, those surfaces can b...