Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will take charge of a 15-strong South Africa squad for a five-match T20I series in New Zealand from 15-25 March, only a week after the T20 World Cup concludes in India. With the IPL slated to start on 26 March, most of the World Cup party have been given leave, allowing a fresher group to press their claims.
Just three players from the World Cup — Maharaj, all-rounder George Linde and seam-bowling batter Jason Smith — will remain on the road. Fast bowlers Ottneil Baartman and Gerald Coetzee return, while top-order left-hander Tony de Zorzi is fit again after injury.
The selectors have also handed maiden call-ups to five youngsters: Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Eathan Bosch and teenage quick Nqobani Mokoena. Hermann is the younger brother of wicketkeeper-batter Rubin Hermann, and Bosch’s older sibling Corbin is already well known on the franchise scene. Mokoena, 19, finished the recent SA20 as joint fourth-highest wicket-taker, striking every 14.76 balls for Paarl Royals.
Head coach Shukri Conrad likes what he sees. “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,” he said. “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.”
Conrad is equally upbeat about his batting options. “The battng 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.”
Scheduling has thrown up an extra bonus for supporters: South Africa’s women are also in New Zealand at the same time, so each men’s fixture will be played as a double-header with the corresponding women’s T20I — handy for fans and broadcasters alike.
Squad in full
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, Jason Smith.
Plenty of fresh faces, a respected stand-in skipper and five matches against a well-drilled New Zealand outfit — it looks a fair early-season examination for South Africa’s next wave.
