Cricket SA announces squad and fixtures for Sri Lanka Emerging Tour

JOHANNESBURG – Cricket SA (CSA) on Tuesday announced the dates and squad for the South African Emerging Squad’s upcoming series against their Sri Lanka counterparts in Pretoria and Potchefstroom from June 29 to July 28.

The emerging side will take on their sub-continent counterparts in an extended One-Day triangular series also featuring a University Sports South Africa (USSA) side before the two teams lock horns in two four-day matches.

The majority of the matches will be played in Pretoria, at the Groenkloof Oval and the Tuks Oval, while Senwes Park in Potchefstroom will be host to the opening four-day game.

The SA Emerging squad is made up of players from the CSA Powerade National Academy, which is a programme running in a three-year cycle, aimed at the successful transition of players from senior provincial cricket into professional and international cricket.

“This programme is a hugely important part of the CSA development pipeline,” said Vincent Barnes, CSA High Performance Manager. “We’ve approached the programme and the subsequent fixtures holistically, keeping in mind our long-term goal of improving our selection pool, producing quality, professional cricketers and possible future Proteas.

“The National Academy provides a pathway for the development of the players, with the likes of Tony de Zorzi, Sinethemba Qeshile and Raynard van Tonder having all represented the SA U19s recently and have since been a part of the National Academy, going on to breaking through in franchise cricket.

“We are very excited to be hosting Sri Lanka’s emerging side, having played them in the sub-continent last year and we are sure there will be just as much competitive cricket on display, particularly with the USSA side also involved,” Barnes concluded.

The SA Emerging squad is:

Tony de Zorzi, Janneman Malan, Raynard van Tonder, Matthew Breetzke, Wandile Makwetu, Sinethemba Qeshile, Sibonelo Makhanya, Eathan Bosch, Tshepang Dithole, Tladi Bokako, Nandre Burger, Kyle Simmonds, Lutho Sipamla, Bjorn Fortuin, Jason Smith, Dayyaan Galiem.