Maharaj recalled to South Africa's T20I squad for England tour, Miller, Jansen and Williams return

Johannesburg, Aug 23 (IANS) Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been recalled to South Africa’s T20I squad for the upcoming tour of England, while senior batter David Miller, all-rounder Marco Jansen and pacer Lizzad Williams also make a return to the set-up.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Saturday that five changes have been made to the T20I squad for the recent series against Australia, which they lost 2-1. As a result, Miller and Donovan Ferreira return to the setup for the first time since the series against Pakistan in December 2024.

Apart from Maharaj earning a recall after being overlooked for the series against Australia, Jansen and Williams’ inclusion comes after recovering from left thumb and left knee injuries, respectively.

“It’s great to have Marco back. He’s a fantastic all-format player who balances our side, he bowls up front and at the death, and hits the ball a long way. The plan was always to ease him and Lizaad back into international cricket through the shortest format. David’s return for the T20Is adds another dimension to our lineup, and he is eager to get going,” said head coach Shukri Conrad.

“Donovan has done particularly well in the leagues he’s played in. We know how destructive he can be at the end of an innings, and with his experience in The Hundred and playing in English conditions, it's the perfect time for him to rejoin the national squad.”

“We were experimenting with the spinning all-rounders in our most recent T20I series, and Keshav was always part of our broader plans. His return to the squad strengthens our spin options. Beyond his obvious skill with the ball, he brings calmness and leadership to the group,” he added.

In the squad for the ODI series, young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka has been retained as cover for Kagiso Rabada, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Rabada will travel with the side and is expected to feature in all three T20Is. Fast bowler Lutho Sipamla will replace Maphaka in the South Africa A squad for their games against New Zealand A.

“We’ll reassess Kagiso in England. We are hopeful that he will be available for part of the ODI series, but we’re prioritising T20I cricket and will take a conservative approach. We won’t rush him back. We will also continue to manage Temba’s workload during the ODI series in the same way we did in the ongoing series against Australia,” added Conrad.

South Africa’s tour of England features three ODIs and three T20Is to be played from September 02 – 14, starting with the 50-over game at Headingley in Leeds. CSA added that the 50-over squad heads to England from Australia on Monday. South Africa last toured England in 2022, where they drew the ODI series 1-1 and won the T20I series 2-1.

“The recent tours to Zimbabwe and Australia have been invaluable, allowing us to test different matchups and give players a platform to perform. We saw some exciting young talent step up in Australia, proving their capabilities under pressure, and with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, we now have a strong base of players to choose from.”

“Our ODI approach will be similar to what we did in Australia, where we maintained consistency within the group to give them the best possible chance to win the series. We’re really looking forward to what will be an exciting tour of the UK,” said Patrick Moroney, Convenor Selector for the Proteas Men.

South Africa ODI squad against England: Temba Bavuma (captain), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs

South Africa T20I squad against England: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Lizaad Williams

--IANS

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