Coach Shukri Conrad says there are batsmen who have “flown past” Reeza Hendricks in the Proteas pecking order.
Hendricks was left out of the T20I squad for next month’s white-ball tour of Australia, with Conrad backing Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton as his preferred opening pair in the format.
Hendricks, who turns 36 in August, holds a national contract and has played 82 T20Is, scoring 2,345 runs at an average of 29.68 and a strike rate of 130.64, including 17 fifties and a century (against Pakistan last December).
In the ongoing T20I Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, he has posted scores of 11, 16, six and 41.
“There are players who have flown past Reeza,” said Conrad on Thursday. “He’s been a great performer for South Africa, especially in this format, but it’s no secret that Aiden and Ryan are my preferred opening batters.
“It makes it difficult for Razzle [Hendricks] to fit in, and there are guys who can open and bat in the middle, like Rassie [van der Dussen] and Lhuan-dre [Pretorius], who give you that cover if you need it.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s fallen this way on Reeza, but I feel there are other guys who give us better options.”
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Also omitted from the squads are David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi and Gerald Coetzee.
Miller has been allowed to play in The Hundred under the terms of his hybrid contract with CSA, while Shamsi and Coetzee have slipped down the spin and pace pecking orders respectively.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to chat with Shammo, which is unfortunate, but the selections speak for themselves in terms of who is ahead in the pecking order,” Conrad said. “If you look at the spinners selected in the T20 squad, that should give you a fair idea of who the front-runners are.”
Fast bowlers Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje were not considered due to injury.
Proteas T20I squad: Aiden Markram (c, Titans), Corbin Bosch (Titans), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Nandre Burger (WP), George Linde (WP), Kwena Maphaka (Lions), Senuran Muthusamy (Warriors), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Nqaba Peter (Lions), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Titans), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Prenelan Subrayen (Dolphins), Rassie van der Dussen (Lions).
Proteas ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c, Lions), Corbin Bosch (Titans), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Nandre Burger (WP), Tony de Zorzi (WP), Aiden Markram (Titans), Senuran Muthusamy (Warriors), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Wiaan Mulder (Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Titans), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Prenelan Subrayen (Dolphins).
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
