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Know your team: The 15 Proteas players in the T20 World Cup squad
The squad features a balance of youth and experience, and a wide range of specialist players.
Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram speaks to the media during a press conference. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
A squad of 15 players was announced by Proteas limited overs coach Rob Walter this week for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States next month.
Here’s a breakdown of each of the players who will represent South Africa as the national team target their first ever World Cup trophy.
Top-order batters
Aiden Markram
The 29-year-old player, captaining the team at a World Cup for the first time, has the experience to carry the Proteas from the front.
He is consistent at the top of the order, and he’s a useful spin bowler, but it is his leadership that could be key to his team’s success.
Reeza Hendricks
The 34-year-old opening batter has averaged 31.51 with the bat (at a strike rate of 130.92) in the 56 T20 Internationals he has played.
Carrying the pressure at the top of the order, Hendricks can be relied upon more often than not to get the team off to a good start.
Ryan Rickelton
Rickelton, 27, has played two Tests and four ODIs but has never turned out in a T20 International.
One of the most consistent players on the domestic circuit in recent years, he was the top run-scorer in this year’s SA20 league. Adding further value, he is also a useful wicketkeeper.
Quinton de Kock
De Kock boasts an average of 32.52, at a strike rate of 137.33, from the 80 T20 Internationals he has played during his spectacular top-flight career.
There are multiple wicketkeepers in the squad, but with his experience, the 31-year-old player is also likely to be given the gloves.
Middle-order batters
Heinrich Klaasen
Klaasen is one of the best batters in the world, and at the age of 32, he brings a wealth of experience.
If he gets going, he can be unstoppable, and the Proteas will look to him more than once to stand up and deliver. He can also keep wicket.
David Miller
A limited overs specialist, Miller’s big-hitting exploits deserve a mention in a book of the game’s legends, and he can turn a match on its head.
At the age of 34, having played 116 T20 Internationals over the last 14 years, he will be eager to showcase his middle-order power again.
Tristan Stubbs
At the age of 23, Stubbs is already an established member of the national squad, having played 17 T20 Internationals.
A quality batter, who has scored a triple century in the first-class format, he is consistent at the crease and can get the job done. And he can keep wicket.
Seam bowlers
Kagiso Rabada
At the age of 28, Rabada is among the most experienced players in the squad, having played over 200 international matches, including 56 in the T20 format.
He has the ability to stabilise any attack, his persistence usually pays off, and he is another valuable leader in the squad.
Marco Jansen
Though he is better known for his ability as a seam bowler, Jansen also has the ability to carry the lower order with the bat.
Jansen, who turned 24 on Wednesday, has played only four T20 Internationals but brings valuable experience for the Proteas in longer formats of the game.
Gerald Coetzee
The 23-year-old paceman has played only four T20 Internationals, but he is one of the country’s best bowlers.
In the 51 T20 matches he has played in his senior career, at all levels, he has taken 73 wickets at an average of 20.00 and an economy rate of 8.44.
Anrich Nortje
Best known for his lightning pace, Nortje hasn’t been as threatening since returning from a lengthy hiatus due to a back injury.
He hasn’t been great in the Indian Premier League in recent weeks, but he has some time to sharpen up, and Proteas coach Rob Walter is confident he’ll be ready.
Ottniel Baartman
One of the squad’s two uncapped players (the other is Rickelton) Baartman has also been knocking on the door for some time.
With a handful of seamers in the squad, he might not get as much game time as he’d like, but he’ll hope to take his opportunities when they’re given.
Spin bowlers
Keshav Maharaj
Packed with three frontline spinners, the Proteas squad are ready for any conditions, and the slow-bowing trio will be spearheaded by Maharaj.
Consistent in every format, 34-year-old Maharaj is a wicket-taker. He also adds a sting to the Proteas tail, regularly putting up a gutsy fight with the bat.
Tabraiz Shamsi
Another experienced 34-year-old spinner, Shamsi is often in the hunt, and he has the ability to spearhead the attack or hold up the opposition batters.
He has taken 78 wickets in the 65 T20 Internationals he has played, at an average of 22.20 and an impressive economy rate of 7.38.
Bjorn Fortuin
In both domestic and international T20 matches, 29-year-old Fortuin boasts averages below 24.00 and economy rates below 8.00, which proves his worth.
If there is a lot of turn on unpredictable World Cup tracks, Fortuin will ensure the Proteas have more than enough depth in the crucial spin department.
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