South African batter Heinrich Klaasen will lead the national team in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan, starting December 10. Regular captain Aiden Markram will miss the series due to his involvement in the ongoing two-match Test series against Sri Lanka and a tight schedule between the Test and T20I fixtures.
Key players Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, and Tristan Stubbs will also sit out the T20Is as they remain part of the Test squad. Despite these absences, South Africa’s T20I team features notable returns, including Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi, playing their first T20 matches since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
All-rounder George Linde has also been recalled to the T20I setup after a three-year hiatus. Linde earned his place following a stellar domestic campaign in the CSA T20 Challenge, where he scored 171 runs at a strike rate of 178.12 and took nine wickets at an average of 18.33.
Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball head coach, expressed confidence in the squad’s depth and experience. “All 15 players are capped, and we are focused on building on the experience within this group as we continue to grow as a unit,” Walter said.
On Klaasen’s leadership, Walter added, “Heinrich is a vastly experienced player with a strong understanding of the game. We look forward to him leading the team, utilizing his knowledge gained from his previous captaincy stint in 2021.”
Walter also highlighted the importance of Linde’s inclusion and the returns of Nortje and Shamsi. “George earned his spot with a strong domestic performance, and his skills as a spinning all-rounder add crucial balance to the team. Anrich and Tabraiz bring a wealth of experience to our bowling unit, strengthening both pace and spin options against a strong Pakistan side.”
South Africa T20I Squad
- Heinrich Klaasen (captain)
- Ottneil Baartman
- Matthew Breetzke
- Donovan Ferreira
- Reeza Hendricks
- Patrick Kruger
- George Linde
- Kwena Maphaka
- David Miller
- Anrich Nortje
- Nqaba Peter
- Ryan Rickelton
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Andile Simelane
- Rassie van der Dussen
T20I Series Schedule
- First T20I: December 10, Durban
- Second T20I: December 13, Centurion
- Third T20I: December 14, Johannesburg