Cricket South Africa (CSA) has named the Men and Women’s National Academy squads for the 2023 intake.
The National Academy is run annually and forms an important part of the CSA High-Performance pipeline as it prepares players for professional cricket at the highest level. Players are selected in line with stringent performance criteria, including performing provincial players and previous graduates of the SA Under-19.
The Men’s programme will run from 01 May to the end of July 2023 whilst the Women’s programme will run from 01 June to the end of July 2023 at CSA Centre of Excellence (COE). In addition to the three-month camp, individual intervention coaching, and monitoring visits are conducted at provincial level.
Malibongwe Maketa will guide the men’s squad which boasts World Cup youngsters. Former SA U19 Captain, George van Heerden, will be joined by teammates Dewald Brevis, Matthew Boast, Liam Alder, Andile Simelane, Valentine Kitime, Caleb Seleka and Michael Copeland.
The women’s academy team will be under the guidance of Dinesha Devnarain, which includes SA U19 Women’s graduates and World Cup stars; Oluhle Siyo, Jenna Evans, Ayanda Hlubi, and Refilwe Moncho.
CSA High-Performance Manager, Vincent Barnes, commented on the significance of the programme;
“The CSA National Men and Women’s Academy programmes are an integral part of our cricket development pipeline. It is significantly important in achieving our long-term strategy of not just producing professional players and strengthening the player base but also to produce future Proteas.
“The Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on our ability to roll out our High-Performance programmes as needed over the past 3 years, but I am looking forward to welcoming our exceptional cricket talent back to the CSA Centre of Excellence,” said Barnes.
CSA NATIONAL MEN’S ACADEMY SQUAD 2023:
Liam Alder (DP World Lions), Matthew Boast (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Okuhle Cele (Momentum Multiply Titans), Michael Copeland (Gbets Rocks), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Duan Jansen (North West Dragons), Valentine Kitime (Gbets Rocks), Andile Mokgakane (AET Tuskers), Mihlali Mpongwana (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Siya Plaatjie (Dafabet Warriors), Josh Richards (DP World Lions), Caleb Seleka (North West Dragons), Andile Simelane (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Musa Twala (Momentum Multiply Titans), Mitchell van Buuren (DP World Lions), Nealan van Heerden (ITEC Knights), George van Heerden (Gbets Rocks).
CSA NATIONAL WOMEN’S ACADEMY SQUAD 2023:
Andrie Steyn (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nobulumko Baneti (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Raisibe Ntozakhe (DP World Lions), Jenay Winster (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Mieke De Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Tebogo Macheke (Fidelity Titans), Michaela Andrews (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Leah Jones (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Oluhle Siyo (DP World Lions), Asakhe Nyovane (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Jenna Evans (DP World Lions), Eliz Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Refilwe Moncho (DP World Lions).
