SA vs BAN | Proteas without IPL-bound players for Bangladesh Test series

Cricket South Africa has announced the list of 15 players for the upcoming two-match Test series against the visiting Bangladesh team. As some of their key players set to miss the series owing to IPL-commitment, some prominent domestic players including the experienced middle-order batsman Khaya Zondo have been recalled into the Proteas squad. 

Zondo has been absolutely magnificent for the Dolphins in South Africa’s 4-day domestic tournament in the last couple of seasons as he has amassed 786 runs in 13 games at a stupendous average of 52.40. To note, Zondo has the experience of just 6 ODI games for the proteas in his 4-year long international career so far, his last ODI being against Netherlands back in November 2021.  

Apart from Zondo, the medium fast bowler Lizaad Williams, wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton and the promising uncapped fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon have also managed to find a place in the squad, whereas the talented right-handed batsman Zubyr Hamza, who played in the first test against New Zealand in February this year, has withdrawn himself from the series citing personal reasons. 

On the other hand, the preferring of IPL over national duty by the key South African players like Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen hasn’t gone well with the South African think tank particularly the vice-captain Temba Bavuma and CSA convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang.

While Bavuma termed the raised situation as ‘far from ideal’, Mpitsang has said that although the loss of the IPL players is not ideal at all, they back and trust the CSA system and the players they have selected. He has also stressed on the fact that the selected players should treat this as a golden opportunity to stabilise themselves in the international circuit and capitalise on that. 

“The loss of IPL players is not ideal, but we back the CSA system, its ever-growing pipeline and most of all, the players we have selected,” Mpitsang said. “Every member of the team is selected based on the excellence that they have shown over an extended period of time and there is no better opportunity for them than now, to show us what they have to offer the Proteas on this highly anticipated occasion,” he further added. 

The Test series begins on 31st of March with the first match getting underway in Durban. 

South Africa squad: -

Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma (vc), Kyle Verreynne (wk), Daryn Dupavillon, Glenton Stuurman, Wiaan Mulder, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Sarel Erwee, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo.