Tony De Zorzi Out, Heinrich Klaasen To Return? South Africa's Probable XI vs England

Tony de Zorzi and Heinrich Klaasen (Source: @blackmaskcri/X.com, @SABreakingNews/X.com)

The strong South African side, led by the inspirational Temba Bavuma, will march on in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 to face the English side in the 11th match. This exciting encounter will occur on the 1st of March, where the Proteas side are expected to make changes to their line-up.

Coming off an outstanding victory over Afghanistan in their initial match by 107 runs, the Proteas had to face the disappointment of an abandoned game due to rain against Australia, after which they had to share their points.

Currently, they are comfortably sitting at the top of Group B, with three points after two matches and a healthy NRR of +2.140. While they already have a dominant position on the table, a win in this encounter would only ensure that they end the group stage in pole position and get the advantage of facing the second-placed side from the other group in the semi-finals.

In the first game against Afghan side, Ryan Rickelton was the show's star, with 103 runs off 106 deliveries. At the same time, skipper Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram each scored fifties in support, helping them put up a total score of 315. Afghanistan were bowled out for 208, where Kagiso Rabada picked up a three-wicket haul.

To ensure that they end up on the right side of things in this crucial encounter, the Proteas will look to make specific changes to their side for the game to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Will South Africa Drop Out Of Form Tony De Zorzi?

Tony De Zorzi Stats In Last 5 ODI Innings

Opener Tony de Zorzi is not having a great time in this tournament so far. In the only game played by South Africa, he scored only 11 runs off 11 deliveries, adding to the side's burden. 

Moreover, in the recently concluded tri-series in Pakistan, South Africa failed to qualify for the finals. In the two matches they played, de Zorzi could feature in one against the hosts Pakistan and was only able to manage 22 runs off 18 deliveries.

In contrast, the rest of the others cashed in on their opportunity to score a mammoth total of 352 as de Zorzi proved to be a glaring failure in the lineup. Adding to this, his last five innings haven't been productive either, where he has only arranged 126 runs at an average of 25.20 while striking at 107.69. De Zorzi has been out of form and is expected to make way for another batter in the side.

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Who Can Replace de Zorzi?

The confirmed option that will replace de Zorzi is power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen. The experienced batter, who is one of the finest players from South Africa, has recovered from his elbow injury, as confirmed by their coach, Rob Walter.

Klaasen has not been featured in any matches so far in this tournament but is expected to slot straight into the middle order, as his vast experience playing in the middle and death overs will come in handy for the Proteas side. In 58 ODI matches, Klaasen has 2074 runs averaging 44.13 and a decent strike rate of 117.45, along with 10 half-centuries and four centuries in his overall career.

With Klaasen's comeback confirmed, expect South Africa to play with a full-fledged XI. The playing 11 will have to rejig a bit, with skipper Bavuma moving one place up at the top of the order to fill the slot left vacant by de Zorzi, while the rest of the batters will also move one along to slot in Klaasen at five.

Any Other Changes?

One player who might get a chance in the side is young, dynamic middle-order batter Tristan Stubbs. Stubbs can only get a look in if any of the other players misses or gets ruled out of this match as a precautionary measure before the all-important semi-final. If there are no injury issues or problems, the Proteas will likely back these 11 players and won't tinker with their mostly settled squad.

South Africa's Probable XI vs England

Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

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