Johannesburg [South Africa], February 20 : With the majority of the T20 World Cup squad members not set to feature, spinner Keshav Maharaj will be leading a 15-member squad for the T20I series tour to New Zealand starting from March 15 onwards, a week after the conclusion of the marquee tournament.
As per ESPNCricinfo, the five-match series will end on March 25, a day before the expected beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 26. Out of the players featuring in the T20 WC squad, only Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith are the only players currently in India who will be touring to New Zealand.
The squad also features five uncapped players: Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Eathan Bosch and Nqobani Mokoena. Jordan is the brother of Rubin Hermann, who is also in the squad, while Eathan Bosch is also a younger brother of Corbin Bosch.
Mokoena was a standout performer in the SA20 season 4, emerging as the fourth-highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps at an average of 14.76 for Paarl Royals. Jordan was also a crucial part of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) team, which won their third title, scoring 273 runs in 10 innings at an average of 34.12 and a strike rate of over 137, with a fifty to his name.
Forrester also put in some eye-catching performances for Joburg Super Kings (JSK) this season, scoring 175 runs in eight innings at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of over 165, with a half-century.
Also, pacers Ottneil Baartman and Gerald Coetzee, who missed the T20 WC flight, are making their return to the side, with batter Tony de Zorzi also back after an injury which cost him a spot in the T20 WC. Ottneil was the leading wicket-taker this season of SA20, with 20 in nine matches at an average of 13.55, including a four-fer and five-wicket haul to his name.
"With this series taking place directly after the T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a great opportunity for this group of players to step into the international environment and show what they're about at this level," South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
"Keshav has experience captaining the Proteas and has led two teams to the SA20 finals. His leadership and calm presence make him the ideal person to lead this group on this tour," he added.
"The batting unit is particularly exciting for this tour. Tony brings experience to the top order, while Connor, Dian and Jordan have all demonstrated the ability to play positive, attacking cricket for their domestic teams. Nqobani showed during SA20 that he is an exciting young quick with the ability to make an impact and this series will give him the perfect opportunity to expose him to the international setup," the coach continued.
South Africa squad for T20I series in New Zealand
Keshav Maharaj (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Eathan Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Nqobani Mokoena, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Prenelan Subrayen, and Jason Smith.