There are several notable omissions from the 15-man Proteas squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Ottniel Baartman and Nandre Burger all miss out, while there are maiden T20 World Cup call-ups for Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka and Jason Smith.
Smith, who made his T20I debut in 2024, boasts a strike-rate of 128.30. One of his most recent standout performances came in the T20 Challenge, where he struck an unbeaten 68 off 19 balls to steer the KZN Dolphins into the playoffs in November. He is currently representing MI Cape Town in the SA20.
Kagiso Rabada returns to the T20I setup after missing the recent white-ball tour of India due to a rib injury.
Another notable inclusion is paceman Anrich Nortje, who finished as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker at the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, where the Proteas ended as runners up.
The squad also includes experienced batsmen Quinton de Kock and David Miller, along with spinner Keshav Maharaj, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi and all-rounder Marco Jansen.
The Proteas are in Group D alongside Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand and the UAE, and will begin their campaign on 9 February against Canada in Ahmedabad.
“Firstly, I would like to congratulate the players who will be representing South Africa at their maiden T20 World Cup,” said Proteas convenor of selectors Patrick Moroney. “This is an incredible opportunity for them in what was a difficult squad to select.
“We have had to make some big calls, but we feel this group is the strongest and has every chance of succeeding in India and Sri Lanka. We have assembled a world-class squad with some of the finest and most experienced players in the game, together with some of the best T20 youngsters coming through.”
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Proteas coach Shukri Conrad added: “We are returning to the subcontinent, where we recently competed against hosts India. The experience we gained playing in those conditions will undoubtedly benefit us as we head into this tournament.
“Many of the players selected for the World Cup squad were on that trip and experienced first-hand the pitches that we will likely encounter and that will stand them in good stead once we get to India.”
“We do have one more T20I series against the West Indies before we depart for the World Cup, and that squad will be announced later this month.”
Proteas T20 World Cup squad: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith.
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
