SA vs IND: South Africa name 17-member ODI squad, Marco Jansen receives maiden call-up

Cricket South Africa have announced a 17-member squad for the three-ODI series against India, starting January 19. Young pacer Marco Jansen, who made his Test debut in the Centurion Boxing Day Test last week, has received his maiden call-up, while the team will be led by Temba Bavuma, with Keshav Maharaj as his deputy. 

Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who announced sudden Test retirement and is awaiting the birth of his first child, will be back to perform his duties with the gloves for the 50-over series, although Anrich Nortje, who has been ruled out of the Tests, continues to sit out on account of his hip injury.  

A host of first-choice players, who were not a part of the Netherlands series squad, are back into the mix, including Bavuma, de Kock, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and Kagiso Rabada. Opener Zubayr Hamza has been retained from that series after he notched up a half-century in his debut ODI, as has Kyle Verreynne, who missed his maiden ODI century by merely five runs against the Dutch in the washed-out ODI before the rest of the series was cancelled in the wake of the emerging threat of Omicron variant of Covid-19. 

South Africa have a sturdy all-rounder column, having included Andile Phelukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius and Kolpak-returnee Wayne Parnell, who made his South Africa comeback straight after 2017. 

“This is a very exciting group and the Selection Panel and I are eager to see what they will produce,” CSA Convenor of Selectors, Victor Mpitsang said. “For many of our players, it does not get bigger than playing against this powerhouse Indian team and this will be the biggest series of their young lives so far. We are looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table and wish Temba [Bavuma] and Mark [Boucher] all the best for the series.”

The ODI series will commence on January 19 in Paarl, which will also host the second ODI on January 21 before the final one in Cape Town on January 23.

Squad: Temba Bavuma (C), Keshav Maharaj (VC), Quinton de Kock, Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne