South Africa rest Bavuma for India limited-overs series

CAPE TOWN (Agencies): South Africa have rested batter Temba Bavuma for their home white-ball series against India this month after a poor Cricket World Cup, but he will captain the team in the two-test series which starts on Dec. 26. Bavuma was, by his own admission, not 100% fit as South Africa bowed out of the World Cup semi-finals in a three-wicket loss to eventual champions Australia. He opened the innings in the tournament but averaged only 18.12 across his eight games with a high score of 35. Aiden Markram will captain both the Twenty20 and One Day International (ODI) sides against India, a dual role he may well take on into the future. Quinton de Kock retired from ODIs at the end of the World Cup but is still available for T20s, though he will skip this series and instead play for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia’s domestic Big Bash competitions, which starts on Thursday. Batters David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs have been included in the test squad for the first time, along with fast bowler Nandre Burger, who appears in the selections across all three formats. There are recalls for wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for the test and ODI series, but premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been rested from the limited overs games in order for him to play domestic four-day cricket to be ready for the test matches.

Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen will not play the ODIs for the same reason. “We have a near full-strength (test) squad to pick from and that in itself is a real boost for us,” test coach Shukri Conrad said in a statement from Cricket South Africa. “It is the start of a new ICC World Test Championship cycle and that itself is a huge incentive for everyone.” India’s tour will start with three T20 matches in Durban, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg from Dec. 10-14. They will then switch format for three ODIs between Dec. 17-21, played in the latter two venues and Paarl. The first Test will start on Dec. 26 in Pretoria, with the second on Jan. 3 at Newlands in Cape Town.

T20 squad:

Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs and Lizaad Williams.

ODI squad:

Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Mihlali Mpongwana, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams.

Test squad:

Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne.