The Cricket South Africa (CSA), on December 7, 2021, announced the squad for the upcoming three-Test series against India which begins on December 26, 2021 onwards, till January 15, 2022.
The series will form part of the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship and will be hosted in three venues namely; SuperSport Park, Wanderers, and Newlands respectively.
The national selectors decided to retain the core group that traveled to the West Indies and also included two new faces. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, and Anrich Nortje were included in the squad captained by Dean Elgar.
The Proteas also welcomed back pacer Duanne Olivier, who returned to South Africa cricket after a prolonged stint in the English county circuit after the end of the Kolpak system. The 29-year-old has claimed 28 wickets in eight innings at an average of 11.14 and best innings bowling figures of 5/53 in the CSA Four-Day Series.
Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton were the two new faces included in the squad, while Glenton Stuurman and Prenelan Subrayen earned recalls.
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CSA Convenor of Selectors, Victor Mpitsang said: “We as the Selectors are excited for the return of Test cricket. This format is very important to CSA and keeping it relevant and alive is one of the organization’s priorities. We are really looking forward to the return of Dean Elgar and his men, it’s been a long few months since the last time we saw them dominate in the West Indies.
We are confident in the team that we have selected and believe fully in backing the talent that we have unearthed and cultivated over the last couple of seasons and giving players the backing that they deserve when they have continuously done well over a significant period of time.”
“This Test series is also important in terms of getting some points in the Test Championship table and we are confident that this group will pick up from where they left off and give us a good show on home soil. On behalf of the Selectors, I would like to wish Dean (Elgar), Mark Boucher, and the team all of the best for the next few weeks of what I’m certain will be really entertaining cricket,” he added.
South Africa squad for the three-match Test series vs India:
Dean Elgar (C), Temba Bavuma (VC), Quinton de Kock (WK), Kagiso Rabada, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duanne Olivier
(Cricket South Africa inputs)
