Cricket South Africa has announced their ODI squad for the first three games versus India. The 15 man squad contains, Khaya Zondo the middle order batsmen who has been selected after 2 years in the squad, he was last part of the team on South Africa”s famous win in India in that ODI series which they won 3-2, He didn”t played a game though.
Lungi Ngidi has earned a maiden call up to the one day side as well on the back of good domestic performances and numbers versus India in the current test series also helped. Ngidi has played 3 t20s and missed the earlier call up to one day scheme of things owing only to injuries.
The squad also sees the return of Morne Morkel and Chris Morris, who missed out on the Bangladesh series with a side strain and back issue respectively, as well as a return for Tabraiz Shamsi as the second spinner, behind Imran Tahir.
The major surprise was the exclusion of Farhaan Behardien, who has been a regular member of the side and currently sits sixth in the one-day cup run charts, where he is averaging over 50, with a strike-rate of over 92.
Khaya Zondo on the other hand have avg about 48 with a strike rate of 65.
The selectors also were quoted as saying, “It”s important for us to be clear in terms of where we are in our plans. We are starting our vision 2019, which are the players we are looking for,”
Linda Zondi, South Africa”s convener of selectors said. “It is important for us to increase the pool and give opportunity so that we know by the time it comes to late this year, we don”t have to be clouded. This is a holistic approach in terms of giving opportunity. This is going to happen for the whole year. There will be guys, key guys, that we are going to rest and rotate.”
Selectors want to more or less seal down their probable squad for the world cup in England by July this year, and hence the players will be rotated concerning the same in these six ODIs versus India and games in Sri Lanka on the tour later in the year.
Other positions that South Africa woud want to look at are of the spinner and the wicketkeeper, with Tahir and Quinton de Kock well established and a lack of serious candidates to challenge either of them. These two places might also be rotated.
Dale Steyn will miss the one day series as he is current nursing an injury and want to recover in time for the Australian test series in March.
The squad otherwise has a lot of regular faces in the squad..
The one day series starts on February 1.
ODI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khaya Zondo
