Big chance for Williams, Magala and Lubbe

SOUTH Africa’s selectors have walked a fine line trying to balance the need for 50-over World Cup qualifying points, giving players room to fulfil IPL commitments and preparing for the T20 World Cup by naming 29 players in two separate squads for limited-overs internationals against Pakistan next month.

Lizaad Williams and Wihan Lubbe were called up to a senior Proteas men’s team for the first time, while Sisanda Magala, gets an opportunity to stake a claim for a T20 World Cup spot with Andile Phehlukwayo not considered for that group.

The Dolphins all-rounder is in the one-day squad, but his absence from the T20 team, in a World Cup year, especially after he missed the majority of the recent T20 Challenge, is a strong signal that the selectors are willing to move on from Phehlukwayo, who despite playing 30 T20 internationals, has rarely been impactful for the Proteas.

The three-match ODI series, which starts on 2 April - and will be played in a bio-secure environment is a crucial start to SA’s quest to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup. The ICC’s Super League sees teams having to play eight series, and accumulate sufficient points on the table to finish among the seven automatic qualifying spots for the tournament that will be played in two years' time.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Proteas have not played a series yet in the Super League, while teams such as England, Australia and Ireland have already played six matches. Failure to secure a top-seven spot, could see SA have to play a qualifying tournament, in which just two places will be available in order to book their ticket to the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and David Miller won’t play the four-match T20 series which follows the ODIs, as part of an agreement between CSA and the BCCI to allow them to join their respective IPL teams as soon as possible.

It does provide further chances for those on the fringes of World Cup selection to stake a claim, while for Williams, Magala, Migael Pretorius and Lubbe it is also reward for their performances in the domestic competition.

ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rassie van der Dussen, Junior Dala, Lutho Sipamla, Wiaan Mulder, Sisanda Magala, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Lizaad Williams

T20 squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Kyle Verreynne, Pite van Biljon, Migael Pretorius, Lizaad Williams, Wihan Lubbe