Rob Walter has named his 15-player squad, which will travel to the T20 World Cup in June. The team will be led by Aiden Markram.
Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger miss out as traveling reserves. There is no space for Rassie van der Dussen, Andile Phehlukwayo, and Wiaan Mulder.
“Firstly, I want to congratulate all the players that have made the cut,” Coach Rob Walter said.”
“Selecting this group was extremely tough considering the amount of T20 cricket that has been played recently and the form that has been on show. I want to congratulate the two uncapped players, Ryan and Ottniel, on their selection.”
“We have seen some incredible performances from our players in 2024 and that made my job very tough indeed. I am nonetheless proud and confident that we have named the strongest possible squad that no doubt has every chance of success in the West Indies and USA.”
Picking the team must have been tough for Walter because Rassie has been one of the inform players in the SA20, PSL, and CSA T20. Yet he did not make the team.
Donovan Ferreira will most likely have a lot of supporters calling for his name. As he is one of the best finishers in the country. Wiaan Mulder had an outside shot as he grew as a T20 player, but he also did not make the cut.
Bowlers as traveling reserves make sense to assist with net bowling in Nandre and Lungi. Hopefully, the Proteas management can take Nqaba Peter and Kwena Maphaka as their net bowlers. Nqaba will be vital for the batters. Kwena can develop more if he can grow.
Ottniel Baartman and Ryan Rickelton are reaping the rewards of their success in the SA20. Ryan was able to replicate that form at the CSA T20 Challenge.
Kagiso Rabada is the only Black African player selected into the team. That will raise eyebrows among the greater South African public. After 30 years of a free South Africa, the Proteas national team only has one Black African player. While the transformation objectives may be questionable, Kagiso makes the team on merit and regardless of his race. The team does have 6 “Black” players. In the true sense of “Black African”, one may put forward that Ottniel should be included along with KG. The lack of “Black African” players in the squad is something that Rob Walter should be answering less of and leaving it to Enoch Nkwe, who should be answering around this matter. But while on one side we are cognitive of creating a racially “inclusive” squad, it does not help that Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, and other “black african” lost form at the wrong time.
Proteas 15 player World Cup squad:
Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs.
This squad, compared to the one that was predicted by Four6Out, is not much different. Bjorn Fortuin and Ottniel Baartman make the team over Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger.
Four6Out team: Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram , Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabriaz Shamsi, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Nandre Burger, Ottniel Baartman (reserve).
Four6Out 