The South African cricket team announced their squad for the upcoming T20I series against India, with recently acquired Mumbai Indians (MI) youngster Tristan Stubbs receiving his maiden call-up to the national team. In another surprise, a former Indian Premier League (IPL) player, Wayne Parnell, who played for the erstwhile franchises Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors India, has also been called up for the limited overs series, returning to the side after five years.
The five-match series, which will take place across five different venues in India (yet to be announced) will be played from June 9 to 19.
"The 21-year-old Tristan Stubb, a right-hand, middle-order batter who impressed this past season while playing for the Gbets Warriors in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge, scored 293 runs in seven innings, at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 183.12, including 23 sixes. He was also part of South Africa ‘A' team to Zimbabwe before he was called up to the Mumbai Indians camp for the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL)," Cricket South Africa said in an official release.
"Other notable selections include the exciting return of fast bowler, Anrich Nortje who has been recovering from injury since December 2021 and batters, Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen. Nortje has been medically cleared for action and is currently working through his return to play programme while playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL," the release added.
“This is the Proteas like we have not seen them in a long time,” said CSA Convenor of Selectors, Victor Mpitsang. “The injection of the IPL players means that we will have a team that's ready to fire on all cylinders immediately and has vast experience of the conditions that we will be playing in.
“Tristan Stubbs is an exciting prospect and we're keen to see what he's made of and we are looking forward to the return of the experience of Reeza (Hendricks), Klaasie (Heinrich Klaasen) and Wayne Parnell to join the likes of Temba (Bavuma), Tabraiz (Shamsi) and Keshav (Maharaj)," he added.
Veteran bowling all-rounder Parnell comes back to the side since the Proteas' tour of England in 2017. Parnell was booked for a drug abuse case during IPL 2012. He was arrested along with leg-spinner Rahul Sharma when the duo were rounded up after a raid on a suburban hotel in Mumbai. It was alleged that drugs were being consumed in the hotel.
South Africa squad for T20I series in India:
Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.
