Anrich Nortje is poised to return to the international arena after a nine-month hiatus, set to feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Having showcased his skills in the IPL, Nortje secures a spot in South Africa‘s 15-member squad under the leadership of Aiden Markram.
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Emerging Stars and Strategic Selections: A Closer Look at South Africa’s T20 World Cup Squad
Opening batsman Ryan Rickelton and fast bowler Ottniel Baartman, both standout performers in the recent SA20 tournament, have also been selected and are primed to make their T20I debuts.
Rickelton, who topped the batting charts in the SA20 and was the second-highest scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge, is expected to pair with Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. This World Cup is likely to mark de Kock’s final appearance in international cricket, following his retirement from ODIs last year, although he was persuaded to extend his tenure for this prestigious event.
De Kock, now absent from Cricket South Africa’s central contracts, has shifted his focus towards T20 leagues. Rob Walter, the white-ball coach, affirmed that despite a recent dip in form across his last three tournaments, de Kock’s selection is based on his past stellar performances.
“Quinny, we’ve seen him do it time and time again for us,” Walter said. “Reeza has been a star performer for us in T20 cricket, was a standout in this domestic CSA T20 challenge again and Ryan Rickleton has had two outstanding competitions really where he’s played the brand of cricket that we’re looking to play. And then we’re going to Aidan Markram and that’ll be the top order. It’s mostly a performance-based decision and from Quinton’s point of view is just a real knowledge of what he’s capable of.“
Baartman, who emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker in the SA20, has been included in the squad with a specific focus on his ability to perform effectively during the death overs. “Over the last couple of years, he’s been outstanding, but in particular in the SA20 he was a cut above the rest. He really showed himself as a quality death bowler,” Walter said.
“We’ve seen particularly in the last couple of weeks in IPL being able to manage the death is going to be critical and he is someone who offers that speciality. If you look at the numbers, he’s been successful through all the phases of the game. He’s worked really hard to get his name into the mix through sheer performance.”
Walter’s confidence in selecting Nortje has been bolstered by his performances in the IPL, where he has represented Delhi Capitals, securing seven wickets across six matches. Despite conceding runs at a rate of 13.36 per over, Nortje’s pace and potency have been noteworthy. “Anrich has got another month before the World Cup starts so I have no doubt he’ll hit his straps,” Walter said. “It’s good to see that his speed is up. The one thing Anrich has that separates him from others is raw pace. There’s not many guys who can bowl 150 (kph) and he can. Pace is an X-factor.”
Nortje’s rapid pace earned him the nod over Lungi Ngidi, who was sidelined from the IPL due to a lower back injury but made a comeback during the CSA T20 Challenge, securing a place as one of the two traveling reserves. The other reserve is left-arm seamer Nandre Burger, currently affiliated with Rajasthan Royals. The squad boasts four frontline seamers in Nortje, Baartman, Kagiso Rabada, and Gerald Coetzee, with Ngidi and Burger serving as traveling reserves. Additionally, three spinners are included: left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin, alongside wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi. With space for only one allrounder, Jansen makes the cut, leaving out Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder.
Batting Depth and Diversity Dilemma: Insights into South Africa’s ICC T20 World Cup Selections
The batting lineup is bolstered by a formidable middle order comprising Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs, with no additional batters listed among the reserves. Faf du Plessis, despite being considered for an international return, has not made the cut. Similarly, Rassie van der Dussen and Matthew Breetzke, despite their notable performances, have not been included in the squad.
Van der Dussen and Breetzke, however, are set to join a secondary South African squad for three T20Is against West Indies preceding the World Cup. Yet, this squad’s composition may fluctuate depending on player availability from the IPL. Notably, this lineup includes uncapped legspinner Nqaba Peter, who emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker in the CSA T20 Challenge.
Among the absentees from South Africa’s previous T20 World Cup squad in 2022 are former captain Temba Bavuma, Rilee Rossouw, and Wayne Parnell. The omissions of Bavuma, Parnell, and Ngidi pose a challenge for Walter, particularly regarding the squad’s racial diversity. With only six players of color and one black African (Rabada) in the 15-man traveling group, South Africa falls short of the tournament’s diversity targets. The current standard stipulates an average of six players of color, with at least two being black African, throughout the season. While Walter has the chance to balance this in other matches, he remains cognizant of potential criticism regarding diminished representation.
“My number one imperative is to create a winning team. In order to do that, every time I pick a side, I’ve got to pick the best team at the time that I think will give us a chance of doing that. That said, the system needs to really up the ante so that in six months, 12 months or two years’ time, and in particular when we reach the 2027 World Cup at home, that the demographics and the representation in our team starts to look a bit different.”
“Outside of the World Cup, we’ll continue to use our bilateral series to grow our base of players, to create international opportunity, to give opportunity for players to put their skills at a higher level and just make sure that we are delivering on a process that’s going to change what our team looks like as we move forward.”
When queried about the absence of a selection panel and the need for special dispensation due to falling short of the diversity target, Walter clarified that the squad was curated through collaboration with Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket. “No squad that I pick is picked without discussion with the director of cricket. It’s as simple as that.” South Africa will kick off their T20 World Cup journey on June 3, facing Sri Lanka in New York.
South Africa’s ICC T20 World Cup Squad:
- Aiden Markram (Captain)
- Ottniel Baartman
- Gerald Coetzee
- Quinton de Kock (WK)
- Bjorn Fortuin
- Reeza Hendricks
- Marco Jansen
- Heinrich Klaasen (WK)
- Keshav Maharaj
- David Miller
- Anrich Nortje
- Kagiso Rabada
- Ryan Rickelton
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Tristan Stubbs
Travelling reserves:
- Nandre Burger
- Lungi Ngidi
