South Africa on Monday, August 14 announced their ODI and T20I squads for home series against Australia from August 30, giving a sneak peek into the ODI World Cup preparations. 20-year-old Mumbai Indians batter Dewald Brevis received his maiden call-up for both formats while Donovan Ferreira, Gerald Coetzee, and Matthew Breetzke secured their maiden T20I call-ups.
Temba Bavuma will lead the ODI side while senior players of the likes of David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and Kagiso Rabada made it to the squad along with Rassie van der Dussen.
Known as ‘Baby AB’ due to his playing style resembling that of AB de Villiers, Brevis showcased an exceptional performance in the tournament. He scored a record-breaking 506 runs in six matches, the highest by any batter in a single edition of the U19 World Cup. This feat earned him the title of Player of the Tournament. Despite his young age, Brevis’s remarkable performance has already marked him as a promising talent in international cricket. Brevis’s showing in T20s has been impressive too.
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Aiden Markram, who took over as T20I captain, was also named in the ODI squad.
Keshav Maharaj was picked as the finger spinner along with wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
ODI SQUAD: Temba Bavuma (captain), Keshav Maharaj, Dewald Brevis, Aiden Markram, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Andrich Nortje, Reeza Hendricsks, Wayne Parnell, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Sisanda Magala, Rassie van der Dussen.
T20I SQUAD: Aiden Markram (captain), Marco Jansen, Temba Bavuma, Sisanda Magala, Matthew Breetzke, Keshav Maharaj, Dewald Brevis, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Tabraiz Shamsi, Donovan Ferreira, Tristan Stubbs, Bjorn Fortuin, Lizaad Williams, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen
There is a mix of experience and youth in the T20I squad with the likes of Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen.
However, one of the notable absentees from the squad was Heinrich Klaasen who has been in sensational form since the IPL 2023 season.
The Australian team, announced earlier this year, will be led by Mitchell Marsh in the T20 format, while Pat Cummins, if recovered from his wrist injury, will captain the ODI side.
The Australian team includes new faces like Spencer Johnson, Matthew Short, and Aaron Hardie, who have earned their maiden national call-ups. However, some notable players such as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green, and David Warner will be rested for the T20 matches following their recent Ashes campaign. Glenn Maxwell will also miss the ODIs due to paternity leave.
The series against South Africa serves as crucial preparation for the Australians ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be held in India from October 5 to November 19, 2023. The detailed schedule for the South African tour is as follows:
T20I Matches
– First T20I: August 30, Durban
– Second T20I: September 1, Durban
– Third T20I: September 3, Durban
ODI Matches
– First ODI: September 7, Bloemfontein
– Second ODI: September 9, Bloemfontein
– Third ODI: September 12, Potchefstroom
– Fourth ODI: September 15, Centurion
-Fifth ODI: September 17, Johanesburg
This tour is an opportunity for the Australian team to fine-tune their strategies and assess their strengths and weaknesses before the World Cup. It will also provide invaluable international exposure to the new players in the squad. The performance of the team in this series will undoubtedly set the tone for their World Cup campaign.
