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Cricket South Africa on Friday named 26-year-old Ryan McLaren and 25-year-old Heino Kuhn as new caps in their various limited overs squads for the approaching series against Zimbabwe and England.
McLaren, an all-rounder from the Diamond Eagles franchise, has been included in the ODI squad for the two-match MTN series against Zimbabwe as well as the first three matches of the MTN series against England and the two Standard Bank Pro20 Internationals.
This is one of three changes to the Proteas' Standard Bank ODI squad that did duty in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament. McLaren takes the place of Robin Peterson while two long-serving Proteas players, Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini, drop out to make room for Alviro Petersen of the bizhub Highveld Lions and Charl Langeveldt of the Nashua Cape Cobras.
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McLaren and Langeveldt have recently given up their Kolpak status which makes them eligible for the Proteas again while Petersen has been a stand-out performer both for South Africa A and in the domestic competitions in which he scored a record number of centuries last season.
Kuhn, a wicketkeeper-batsman from the Titans franchise, gets his chance in the 20 overs format of the game for the two Standard Bank Pro20 Internationals against England. This is the first indication the selectors have given in their long-term succession plans for Mark Boucher behind the stumps.
Loots Bosman also makes a comeback to the Proteas squad for the Pro20 series.
"It is never easy to leave out senior players, particularly when they are men of the calibre of Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini who have given such wonderful service over a long period of time," commented selection convener Mike Procter. "But we also have to keep looking forward and reward those players who are knocking strongly on the door.
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