Some more experimenting, prominent recalls and confirmation to a veteran that he was still very much a part of the international scene – it seems Andrew Hudson and his selection panel covered all bases, both pleasing and annoying their critics.
So Mark Boucher stays in the Test squad – which is annoying to those who think he is too old and that a new gloveman deserves a chance, at least for the New Zealand tour. Graeme Smith is not in the T20 squad, pleasing – at least a little – for all those who want him nowhere near the national side, while Richard Levi is back and should play in New Zealand, and Juan “Rusty” Theron is also recalled.
Hudson emphasised that Smith’s absence from the T20 side by no means indicated that his days in that format were over. “We will never write off anybody, but we wanted to look at other options. Richard Levi is a very talented player and deserves a chance.
“We are looking at combinations and we didn’t want to leave it until the England tour to try those out … and we’d like to keep the side together as they go into the T20 Championships.”
Among the recalls, the most prominent are JP Duminy in the Test squad as the back-up batsman and Lonwabo Tsotsobe as a left-arm pace bowling option.
In the limited overs squads, Levi will open alongside Hashim Amla, while Theron gets the chance to re-establish his bowling credentials in the T20 series, and Justin Ontong also returns for both T20 and ODI series.
Test:
Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, Marchant de Lange, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
ODI:
AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
T20:
AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Marchant de Lange, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. - The Star