South Africa have announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and made a few big and surprising decisions. Young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka and top-order batter Jason Smith have been included in the team. However, there is no place for batters Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. Jason Smith’s selection comes after his strong recent performances. He has been in good form in T20 cricket and earned his spot ahead of Stubbs, who was part of South Africa’s squad that finished runners-up in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Smith made his T20I debut in 2024 and has a strike rate of 128.30. He is currently playing for MI Cape Town in the SA20 league. One of his best recent knocks came in the T20 Challenge in November, where he smashed an unbeaten 68 runs off just 19 balls to help the Dolphins reach the playoffs. Ryan Rickelton, on the other hand, could not make the cut in a team already filled with top-order players. Captain Aiden Markram and wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock are among the main options at the top of the order. Along with Smith and Maphaka, several players have received their first-ever T20 World Cup call-up. These include Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, and George Linde. South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad spoke about the team’s preparation and conditions in the subcontinent. He said, “We are returning to the subcontinent, where we recently competed against hosts India. The experience we gained playing in those conditions will undoubtedly benefit us as we head into this tournament. “Many of the players selected for the World Cup squad were on that trip and experienced first-hand the pitches that we will likely encounter and that will stand them in good stead once we get to India.” Conrad also added, “We do have one more T20I series against the West Indies before we depart for the World Cup, and that squad will be announced later this month.” Star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada returns to the T20I side after missing the recent tour of India due to a rib injury. Anrich Nortje is also back in the squad after finishing as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 World Cup. South Africa are placed in Group D along with Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the UAE. They will start their campaign on February 9 against Canada in Ahmedabad. Former all-rounder Albie Morkel will join the team as a specialist consultant.South Africa squad: 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 and Jason Smith.
