Proteas in the spotlight | South Africa vs England

Besides the usual suspects, we take a look at some of the other players we believe will be in the spotlight for this series against England in Cape Town.

South Africa announced a squad of 24 players for both the upcoming home ODI and T20I series against England. It’s a well-balanced combination of newcomers and experienced players, and most of the players from the last series involving both teams are present in this squad.

Glenton Stuurman

Naturally, there’s plenty of excitement whenever a player gets a national call-up for the first time. Touted as a potential successor to the ever-so-consistent Vernon Philander, the Warriors seamer has been a frequent feature for his franchise for most of the previous season and made rapid strides in his quest towards a Proteas stint.

Stuurman might be better known for his first-class exploits, but he also boasts promising numbers in the shorter formats. He’s probably more likely to get game time in the ODI series, considering the T20 World Cup is just inside a year from now.

Kyle Verreynne

Another fresh face in the Proteas setup, the industrious 23-year-old Cobras wicketkeeper-batsman received his big break in March, against Australia. He was fortunate enough to play all three ODIs and showed glimpses of his flair and potential with his dexterous strokeplay. He’s also gotten off to an encouraging start in the 4-day series and has been talked up as a strong Test prospect in the near future.

Keshav Maharaj

South Africa’s premier Test spinner found a spot in this squad, and rightfully so. Finding a reliable all-format spinner has been an ongoing conundrum, but it’s safe to say the Maharaj could well and truly be the real deal. When he’s not taking wickets, he can be an effective containing bowler, too.

He captains the Dolphins in white-ball cricket, and also played in the ODI series against Australia earlier this year. In addition to his bowling, he’s more than capable as a lower-order batsman. He may be in direct competition with the incumbent Tabraiz Shamsi as well as fellow left-arm finger spinner Bjorn Fortuin, but it’s well worth it to back his experience and reliability.

Temba Bavuma

He was once pigeonholed as a Test specialist, but a productive MSL and improving domestic returns earned him a spot in the limited-overs squad for the England and Australia series earlier this year. In his very first game following his ODI recall, Bavuma scored a commendable 98 against England, and backed it up with regular contributions while opening the batting in the T20I series that followed.

His domestic leadership skills and clutch performances in Test cricket have made him a candidate for Test captaincy, but the greater focus will be maintaining the level of consistency from the positive start several months ago. He’s also one of the few who scored a century on ODI debut.

David Miller

Out of this quintet, he’s the most experienced player for the Proteas in white-ball cricket. In recent times, there’s been an extended discussion on who should be backed as the middle-order, and understandably so, since he’s been yearning for form in T20Is. He hasn’t passed 50 in his last 10 T20I innings.

But looking at the T20 WC plans, it’s crunch time for him to return to the form he’s been known for. On the other hand, he’s delivered relatively more often in ODIs, scoring two half-centuries in two of his recent four games. Creating the much-needed impact and scoring runs will be the currency for the hard-hitting left-hander.

Other notable mentions: