Rassie van der Dussen will miss out on next month’s T20 World Cup in Australia because of injury.
Van der Dussen, 33, broke his finger in the second Test between South Africa and England at Old Trafford and according to convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang will not recover in time for the global showpiece.
Mpitsang explains: “Rassie broke his finger about a week ago, he went for surgery and it will take up to six weeks before his recovery. Unfortunately, the timing didn’t come at the right time and his recovery time is not good for us.”
Good news for South Africa on the injury front is that captain Temba Bavuma is fit and ready to lead the team Down Under.
Mpitsang says of Bavuma’s recovery after an elbow injury which ruled him out of the team’s current tour of England: “He has been playing for the Lions in Namibia, so he is good to go.”
Tristan Stubbs, 22, is the man who will look to cash in on Van der Dussen’s absence.
Mpitsang is confident that the youngster can step up in the tournament, saying: “We are confident with Stubbs and the brand he’s played in the last couple of months for the national team.”
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He adds: “He is young, exciting, fearless and has ticked the boxes… he hasn’t been fearful when playing for SA, he is an exciting player.”
The Proteas will play their final Test against England at the Oval from Thursday, before jetting off to India for three T20s and three ODIs.
They are off to the World Cup, which starts on October 16, after that.
Proteas: 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, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi and Tristan Stubbs.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za