Photo Credit: Cricket South Africa
Left-arm spinner, George Linde has received his maiden call-up into the Standard Bank Proteas’ One-Day International (ODI) team ahead of their short outbound tour to India from 12-17 March 2020. It will consist of a three-match ODI series taking place in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Kolkata.
The 15-man squad also sees the return of rested players, Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen to bolster the batting line-up as well as the retention of newcomer, Kyle Verreynne who impressed selectors with his score of 48 off 64 on debut against Australia in Paarl on Saturday (29 February). Keshav Maharaj and Lutho Sipamla are also among the retained players, the latter having the added excitement of a maiden outbound international tour.
The selections are a continuation of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) search for the next generation of Proteas who will potentially represent the country in the 2023 ICC World Cup in India as well as an extension of the organization’s bid to give opportunities to young, up and coming players who have been making waves in the franchise system. It is also a good opportunity for the players selected to put their hands up and show what they are capable of in the tough playing conditions of India.
Tabraiz Shamsi was not available for selection as he and his wife Khadija are anticipating the imminent birth of their first-born child.
The full squad is as follows:
Quinton de Kock (captain, wicketkeeper, Momentum Multiply Titans), Temba Bavuma (Imperial Lions), Rassie van der Dussen (Imperial Lions), Faf du Plessis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Kyle Verreynne (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Jon-Jon Smuts (Warriors), Andile Phehlukwayo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lundi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Lutho Sipamla (Warriors), Beuran Hendricks (Imperial Lions), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), George Linde (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins).
CSA Independent Selector, Linda Zondi expressed the Selection Panel’s pleasure at their chosen team as they continue the team’s rebuild after the losses of several senior players over the last 18 months.
“It is exciting to see the amount of competition for spots that we have within the team and in the franchises, it’s a good headache for us as selectors to have,” he commented. “We are satisfied with our picks for what will certainly be a challenging tour of India. We saw some promising performances last year from the T20 squad that travelled there and we wanted to give a player like George Linde another crack at the conditions which seemed to really suit him.
“We are also particularly pleased with the balance of youth and experience that we have achieved while our young leadership group continues to establish itself. We are looking forward to some good performances in this relatively short tour,” Zondi concluded.
Proteas India tour itinerary
Thursday, 12 March 2020: 1st ODI Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala – 10:00
Sunday, 15 March 2020: 2nd ODI Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow – 10:00
Wednesday, 18 March 2020: 3rd ODI Eden Gardens, Kolkata – 10:00
