Proteas coach Rob Walter has called up 21-year-old Dolphins allrounder Andile Simelane to his squad for their white-ball tours to Afghanistan and Ireland.
South Africa face Afghanistan in three ODIs, starting next Wednesday, before travelling to Ireland for two T20Is – starting on September 27 – and three ODIs next month.
Boarding their flight without a number of big guns such as Kagiso Rabada (rest, recovery and conditioning), Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen (both on a fast-bowling conditioning programme), Heinrich Klaasen (family matters), Quinton de Kock (whose Proteas future is yet to be determined), Walter is drukking on the nommer of the next generation.
Meanwhile, Walter says of picking Simelane: “We’ve taken Andile as the 16th player to the Afghanistan squad, we are doing our best to identify a series where we can take our ‘high potential players’ along to expose them to international cricket, the Proteas environment and the requirements of international cricket…”
He adds of his selections: “We’ve decided to give chances to some fringe players as well as those who’ve impressed recently...”
PROTEAS SQUADS
White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced the squads for the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan and the proceeding white-ball tour against Ireland, which get underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this month.
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 9, 2024
The Proteas will… pic.twitter.com/CxqsY618Kr
ODIs v Afghanistan: Temba Bavuma (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nqaba Peter, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams.
T20Is v Ireland: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs and Lizaad Williams.
ODIs v Ireland
Temba Bavuma (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams.