Cricket South Africa (CSA) have named the latest squad for the South Africa Under-19 men’s side.
The selected 15-player squad will participate in this year’s Division 2 short white-ball format. CSA’s high-performance is championing the kickstart of preparations for the 2024 ICC U19 Men’s World Cup through this programme.
The squad consist of a number of players from the 2022 ICC U19 Men’s World Cup, which took place in the West Indies in January 2022. New members of the squad were identified from the CSA national weeks.
George van Heerden who captained the side in January is joined by Aphiwe Mnyanda, Liam Alder, Kwena Maphaka, and Matthew Boast, bringing in the requisite international experience in the set-up.
Lions’ Ronan Hermann, who was named the Khaya Majola U19 National Player of the Tournament at the CSA Awards in August has also been named in the squad.
“This is a great opportunity for our boys to get together and start the process that culminates in the world cup in two years’ time,” said SA U19 Men’s Head Coach, Shukri Conrad.
“These are the first building blocks in that process. We have hosted camps in the last few weeks, looking at U17 and U19 players to refine the identification process.
“When selecting the side, we looked at the players that represented the country early this year in the West Indies. Looking at them being absorbed by franchises, opened a pool of youngsters who impressed at the Khaya Majola and CSA Cubs week.
“We are thrilled that CSA has made it a priority to continue to provide opportunities which play a key role in the development of our players,” concluded Conrad.
SA U19 Convenor of Selectors, Patrick Moroney, also commented on the selected squad:
“We are very fortunate that this team sets our youngsters up for their professional careers.
“A number of players are contracted with our domestic teams for the upcoming bumper season, and this has opened up opportunities for players in the CSA pipeline.
“It is crucial to note that this is a work-in-progress to begin the road to 2024. We have a lot of players in the system that we are working with and will have the opportunity to come through with the team as preparations continue,” Moroney concluded.
SA U19 Men’s Squad:
George Van Heerden (Boland), Liam Alder (Lions Cricket), Matthew Boast (Titans Cricket), Abdullah Bayoumy (Western Province), Schalk Engelbrecht (Titans Cricket), Thebe Gazedi (Lions Cricket), Ronan Hermann (Lions Cricket), Juan James (Western Province), Kwena Maphaka (Lions Cricket), Dewan Marais (Easterns), Aphiwe Mnyanda (Eastern Province), Meeka-eel Prince (Western Province), Richard Seletswane (Lions Cricket), David Teeger (Lions Cricket), Liyema Waqu (Western Province)
