Cricket South Africa (CSA) today named three specialist spinners in the Castle Lager Proteas Test squad for the four-match Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series against India.
Spinner Imran Tahir has returned to South Africa Test team.
Both Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt return to the squad to join incumbent Simon Harmer.
“We want to keep all our options open for the Test Series,” commented CSA selection convener, Linda Zondi. “We also have JP Duminy as an option in this department and I believe we have covered all our bases by having both holding and attacking spin options in our squad. It is good to have Dane back from his injury and Imran was our No. 1 spinner for our last Test series on the sub-continent against Sri Lanka.”
Zondi also confirmed that Dane Vilas would retain the gloves in this format. “It is very important that we maintain consistency in our selections and Dane hardly had the chance to make his mark in Bangladesh where the series was so badly disrupted by the weather.”
Imran also returns to the Oxigen Proteas T20 squad in the place of Aaron Phangiso while there are also recalls for Chris Morris and Marchant de Lange. “The tour to India is a very long one,” emphasized Zondi. “It lasts for more than two months and we can’t expect Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to field too heavy a workload. Chris comes back after a spell out through injury while Marchant has done well at the IPL. It is an ideal opportunity to explore our back-up options ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 which will be played in India. It is vital in this format to get wickets up front.
“Imran is our No. 1 bowler in the T20 format and we need him to play every series between now and the ICC tournament while Eddie Leie will be our second spinner as we want to have another look at what he can do.
“Chris is also a potential candidate for a position as a bowling all-rounder in the ODI team so this is another option we want to explore. We also believe he is well suited to the conditions we will encounter there.”
Rilee Rossouw has been ruled out of the T20 squad through injury but should return to full fitness in time for the ODI series. His place in the T20 squad will be taken by new cap, Khaya Zondo. The latter had the second best batting average of 38.50 (behind Quinton de Kock) for South Africa A in the recent triangular ODI series in India and also had the best strike rate of those who played in all four matches (106.94). He will become the 65th player to represent the Proteas in the T20 format.
Castle Lager Proteas Test squad: Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras, capt), AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans, vice-capt), Temba Bavuma (bizhub Highveld Lions), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans), Dean Elgar (The Unlimited Titans), Simon Harmer (Warriors), Imran Tahir (Sunfoil Dolphins), Morne Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Vernon Philander (Cape Cobras), Dane Piedt (Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Cape Cobras), Stiaan van Zyl (Cape Cobras), Dane Vilas (Cape Cobras).
Castle Lager Proteas ODI squad: AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans, capt), Kyle Abbott (Sunfoil Dolphins), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (The Unlimited Titans), Quinton de Kock (The Unlimited Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans), Imran Tahir (Sunfoil Dolphins), David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins), Morne Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Chris Morris (The Unlimited Titans), Aaron Phangiso (bizhub Highveld Lions), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (VKB Knights), Dale Steyn (Nashua Cape Cobras).
Oxigen Proteas T20 squad: Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans, capt), Kyle Abbott (Sunfoil Dolphins), Hashim Amla (Nashua Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (The Unlimited Titans), Quinton de Kock (The Unlimited Titans), Marchant de Lange (The Unlimited Titans), AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Imran Tahir (Sunfoil Dolphins), Eddie Leie (bizhub Highveld Lions), David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins), Chris Morris (The Unlimited Titans), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), David Wiese (The Unlimited Titans), Khaya Zondo (Sunfoil Dolphins).