Proteas Cricket have announced South Africa's squad for the upcoming T20I tour of New Zealand, which is scheduled to start from March 15. Spinner Keshav Maharaj was rewarded with captaincy as most of the players currently involved in the T20 World Cup will not be part of this series, as it starts just a week after the tournament ends.
The five-match T20I series will conclude on March 25, just a day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to begin on March 26. Among the players presently in India for the T20 World Cup, only Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith will travel to New Zealand for the series.
Uncapped players in the South Africa squad
The squad includes five uncapped players: Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Eathan Bosch and Nqobani Mokoena. Jordan is the brother of Rubin Hermann, who is also part of the squad, while Eathan Bosch is the younger brother of Corbin Bosch.
Uncapped stars performance
Mokoena impressed during the fourth season of the SA20, finishing as the fourth-highest wicket-taker. He picked up 13 wickets at an average of 14.76 while playing for the Paarl Royals. Jordan Hermann also had a strong season, playing an important role in Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s third title win. He scored 273 runs in 10 innings at an average of 34.12 and a strike rate above 137, including one half-century.
Dian Forrester also caught attention with his performances for Joburg Super Kings, scoring 175 runs in eight innings at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of more than 165, with one fifty to his name.
Gerald Coetzee returns
The squad also sees the return of fast bowlers Ottneil Baartman and Gerald Coetzee, who were not part of the T20 World Cup squad. Batter Tony de Zorzi is also back after recovering from an injury that ruled him out of the World Cup. Baartman was the top wicket-taker in this season’s SA20, claiming 20 wickets in nine matches at an average of 13.55, including one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad said the series provides a valuable opportunity for new players to gain international experience.
"With this series taking place directly after the T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a great opportunity for this group of players to step into the international environment and show what they're about at this level," Conrad said.
He also praised Maharaj’s leadership qualities.
"Keshav has experience captaining the Proteas and has led two teams to the SA20 finals. His leadership and calm presence make him the ideal person to lead this group on this tour," he added.
Conrad expressed excitement about the batting group selected for the tour.
"The batting unit is particularly exciting for this tour. Tony brings experience to the top order, while Connor, Dian and Jordan have all demonstrated the ability to play positive, attacking cricket for their domestic teams. Nqobani showed during SA20 that he is an exciting young quick with the ability to make an impact and this series will give him the perfect opportunity to expose him to the international setup," the coach continued.
South Africa squad for T20I series in New Zealand
Keshav Maharaj (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Eathan Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Nqobani Mokoena, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Prenelan Subrayen, and Jason Smith.