‘Inclusion of Subrayen gives Proteas options and variety’

A right-arm off-spinner with a top-class record in domestic cricket over the last two seasons has been called up for the Proteas Test squad that will tour the West Indies next month.

No, not Simon Harmer but Dolphins star Prenelan Subrayen, who has taken 57 wickets in 11 matches in the last two seasons at an average of just 22.73.

The 27-year-old played a key role in the KZN franchise winning the four-day competition last season and was particularly outstanding in the final, taking six for 24 to bowl the Titans out for a record low of just 53 and then picking up another four wickets in the second innings.

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Harmer has signed for Northerns for next season’s new-look domestic competitions but has not played a four-day match in South Africa since January 2019, notwithstanding his incredible displays in English county cricket, where he has taken 284 wickets since 2017.

Subrayen will join fellow spinners Keshav Maharaj, George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi in the squad for the two Tests against the West Indies.

“Subrayen has had two wonderful four-day seasons now and, if conditions in St Lucia are, as we expect, like in Pakistan then we’ll need a lot of spinners,” convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang told The Citizen on Tuesday.

“That gives us a lot of options and we need that variety of two orthodox left-armers in Maharaj and Linde, a wrist-spinner in Shamsi and the off-spin that Prenelan provides against a batting line-up that has had a lot of left-handers in the past.”

South Africa will be defending a titanic record in the Caribbean – since they lost their epic debut Test match there in 1991/92, they have won all three series played there – and will be without retired veteran batsman Faf du Plessis. But the selectors have not replaced him with a batsman; Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne and Sarel Erwee all providing cover as they did in Pakistan earlier this year.

Instead, Lizaad Williams, who made his white-ball debut for the Proteas at the end of last season, gets his first call-up to the Test squad, with Daryn Dupavillon, Dwaine Pretorius and Lutho Sipamla all axed from the squad named for the Tests in Pakistan.

South Africa’s white-ball squads feature the return of superstars Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje from IPL duty. Temba Bavuma is also back to lead the side after missing the T20s against Pakistan due to injury.

The same squad will do duty for the T20s and ODIs in Ireland, with the addition of Maharaj, who has been a major figure in the Dolphins’ 50-over success.

Proteas squads

Test squad

Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Keegan Petersen, Quinton de Kock, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, Lizaad Williams, Prenelan Subrayen, Marco Jansen.

T20/ODI squad

Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dwaine Pretorius, Janneman Malan, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Verreynne, Reeza Hendricks, Lizaad Williams, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj (for Ireland).

• Meanwhile, Zubayr Hamza will lead the South Africa A squads that will travel to Zimbabwe for four 50-over-matches and two four-dayers against their counterparts in Harare from 29 May to 16 June.

South Africa A One-Day squad

Ryan Rickelton, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Zubayr Hamza, Tony de Zorzi, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Sisanda Magala, Junior Dala, Lutho Sipamla, Senuran Muthusamy, Daryn Dupavillon, Glenton Stuurman, Theunis de Bruyn, Wihan Lubbe, Sinethemba Qeshile.

South Africa A Four-Day squad

Dominic Hendricks, Eddie Moore, Zubayr Hamza, Raynard van Tonder, Theunis de Bruyn, Senuran Muthusamy, Sinethemba Qeshile, Miguel Pretorius, Daryn Dupavillon, Glenton Stuurman, Lutho Sipamla, Dayyaan Galiem, Okuhle Cele, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tshepo Ntuli.