Published: Oct 17, 2018, 12:39 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 17, 2018, 12:39 PM (IST)
Injuries to Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Wiaan Mulder have opened up places for Chris Morris, Farhaan Behardien and Dwaine Pretorius in South Africa’s ODI squad to tour Australia next month.
Morris, 31, played the last of his 34 ODIs in February before being sidelined with injury. Behardien, 35, also last played ODIs in February while Pretorius, 29, has not feared for South Africa in a year.
“Chris confirmed his fitness with his excellent form for the Multiply Titans in the first two rounds of the 4-Day Domestic Series,” Cricket South Africa convener Linda Zondi said on Wednesday. “He is the leading wicket-taker in this competition to date and also adds value as a batting option in the lower-order. With Wiaan Mulder ruled out at the moment through injury we need to look at our resources as far as batting all-rounder options are concerned and Dwaine, in particular, fits into this category.”
Reeza Hendricks has been retained as an opening option, with Test specialist Dean Elgar dropped after he played two ODIs against Zimbabwe recently, while Heinrich Klaasen is the reserve wicketkeeper. With Amla out of the recent ODI series with Zimbabwe, Quinton de Kock rested and regular skipper Faf du Plessis missing the first two games, South Africa opened with Elgar and Aiden Makram and then Markram and Hendricks. Markram made 37, 35 and 42 and Hendricks 5, 1 and 66.
Duminy was ruled out of the tour on Tuesday and will undergo surgery on his right shoulder. Mulder had earlier been set back with an ankle injury.
Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi are the specialist spinners, with Dale Steyn included in a fast-bowling pool featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Morris and Pretorius.
“We have also lost a lot of experience in our specialist batting order through the injuries to Hashim Amla and JP Duminy, and Farhaan gives us another experienced option in the top order,” said Zondi. “We feel that we got quite a lot out of the Zimbabwe series, notably the form of Imran Tahir and the return of Dale Steyn to his very best. Heinrich Klaasen took his chances well both with bat and behind the stumps and the same applies to a lesser extent to Reeza Hendricks in a series in which batting was not easy. We are confident that our Vision 2019 strategy for the ICC World Cup is progressing along the right lines.”
South Africa play three ODIs and a T20I in Australia. The first ODI is in Perth on November 4.
South Africa ODI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn
