Proteas T20 squad to be named: Markram to captain, a return for Faf?

Recently appointed Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter is on Monday expected to name Aiden Markram as the team’s new T20 captain.

The position became available when former leader Temba Bavuma opted out of the role following a difficult time in the hot seat.

Bavuma, who recently took charge of the Test team in place of Dean Elgar, will continue to lead the ODI side.

Markram’s successes

Markram is the favourite to succeed Bavuma as T20 captain following his guiding of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, with his first assignment a series against the West Indies this month.

Markram has also been in good form in all forms of cricket recently. He struck a superb century in the latter stages of the SA20 competition to help his side reach the final, and just last week he hit a ton in the first Test against the West Indies on his return to the Test team, which is now coached by Shukri Conrad.

The T20 and ODI teams for the series against the West Indies will be named on Monday afternoon and it will be interesting to see who Walter picks.

Bavuma, Du Plessis

Also, will Bavuma, while still available for T20 cricket, crack the nod?

The other big question is whether former captain Faf du Plessis, now 38, will get a look-in.

Du Plessis retired from Test cricket two years ago but remained available for the two formats of white-ball cricket, but was overlooked by former coach Mark Boucher.

Du Plessis’ last ODI was in 2019 while he played his last T20 game for his country in the latter stages of 2020.

Following Walter’s appointment it emerged the new coach was keen to meet with Du Plessis and according to Rapport newspaper this meeting indeed took place in recent days.

Du Plessis showed in the SA20 he is still a major force in the limited overs game and particularly T20 cricket. He not only captained the Joburg Super Kings but scored 369 runs at an average of 41 to be second highest run-scorer.

Markram scored 365 runs at 37.

Dewald Brevis

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, who made his Test debut last week and was third highest wicket-taker in the SA20, will hope he, too, cracks a nod in the limited overs teams, while Eathan Bosch and Evan Jones also enjoyed good SA20 campaigns.

Could this also be the opportunity to give Dewald Brevis and Jordan Hermann their shot at international cricket?

Meanwhile, the Proteas Test players are back together, preparing for the start of the second Test on Wednesday against the West Indies at the Wanderers.

The three matches in the ODI series are on 16, 18 and 21 March while the T20s are on 25, 26 and 28 March.