JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Kagiso Rabada leads a strong South Africa pace attack for the T20 World Cup in February.
Rabada returned to competitive cricket on New Year’s Eve in the SA20 with figures of 2-48 for MI Cape Town after being sidelined for almost 10 weeks due to a rib injury.
Anrich Nortje, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Kwena Maphaka were the other pace options picked in the squad on Friday.
Batters Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi and Jason Smith, allrounders George Linde and Donovan Ferreira and fast bowlers Bosch and Maphaka will feature in their first World Cup.
Quinton de Kock, who recently reversed his retirement, was retained and among the seven Proteas players who lost the 2024 final to India in Barbados.
Notable players to miss out included Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Tabrazi Shamsi.
“We have had to make some big calls but we feel this group is the strongest and has every chance of succeeding in India and Sri Lanka,” selection convener Patrick Moroney said in a statement. “We have assembled a world-class squad with some of the finest and most experienced players in the game, together with some of the best T20 youngsters coming through.”
South Africa will be led by Aiden Markram, who is expected to open the innings with de Kock.
With the subcontinent pitches also expected to suit spinners, South Africa has gone with two experienced left-armers in Keshav Maharaj and George Linde. Markram and Ferreira were part-time spin options.
South Africa will host the West Indies for three T20s before its first T20 World Cup game against Canada in India on Feb. 9. Afghanistan, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates are also in the Proteas’ group.
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South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith.
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