Khaya Zondo, Daryn Dupavillon and Lizaad Williams were the fresh faces in the Proteas Test squad that’s shorn of its Indian Premier League players for the Bangladesh red-ball engagement at the end of the month.
Proteas Test skipper Dean Elgar, who said on his arrival from New Zealand that the choice between Test duty and the IPL will test the loyalty of players, will be without key pacers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen while Anrich Nortje continues to recover from a hip injury.
Embattled top-order batter Aiden Markram, who recent red-ball ball has been a hot topic, will also be on IPL duty, but his departure will be offset by the return of top-order batter Keegan Petersen.
Rassie van der Dussen will also be unavailable due to IPL commitments.
Western Province’s Zubayr Hamza has not been considered for the Test group due to personal reasons.
It’s in the bowling where absences will be keenly felt, with the departures leaving Duanne Olivier as the most experienced fast bowler in the squad with Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Wiaan Mulder and Dupavillon providing the spine of the support
The spin department is well looked after by Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer.
Cricket South Africa’s convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang said they’ll have to find a way to cope without their IPL contigent.
“The loss of the IPL players is not ideal, but we back the CSA system, its ever growing pipeline and most of all, the players we have selected,” Mpitsang said.
“Every member of the team is selected based on the excellence that they have shown over an extended period of time.
“There is no better opportunity for them than now, to show us what they have to offer the Proteas on this highly anticipated occasion.”
Proteas squad:
Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma, Daryn Dupavillon, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo.