PORT ELIZABETH –The Proteas will begin a new era during the upcoming England ODI series after Quinton de Kock replaced Faf du Plessis as captain on Tuesday.
De Kock will lead a youthful team against the world champions with five uncapped players Lutho Sipamla, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Janneman Malan and Kyle Verreynne included in the 15-man squad.
Du Plessis was surprisingly left out of the squad altogether despite averaging 67.83 in ODI cricket over the past 12 months.
The other major omission from the ODI squad is fast bowler Kagiso Rabada. The 25-year-old is undoubtedly part of the World Cup plans, but will continue his soul searching for a few more weeks after being banned for the final Test at the Wanderers this week.
The composition of the squad is a clear sign that the selectors are looking to move on from the 2019 World Cup disaster and begin the preparations for 2023 in India. And it is De Kock that has been tasked with leading the team down this exciting path.
#BreakingNews Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to name Quinton de Kock ( @QuinnyDeKock69) as the new Proteas One-Day International captain. #CSAnews #ProteasODIsquadAnnouncement #Thread pic.twitter.com/yr0cdAkUcP
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 21, 2020
“We all know the quality of the player that Quinton de Kock has grown to become. Over the years, we have watched him grow in confidence and become one of the top ODI wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. He has a unique outlook and manner in which he goes about his business and is tactically very street smart,” Cricket SA acting director of cricket Graeme Smith said.
“We are confident that the new leadership role will bring out the best in him as a cricketer and that he can take the team forward into the future and produce results that South Africans the world over can be very proud of. We wish him the very best in this new role and look forward to watching him make his mark in this series against the World Cup champions.”
For all the faults of the Mzansi Super League, it is at least achieving one of its primary goals by producing more talent for the national team. The five players selected have all shown during the MSL for their respective franchises they are not only skillful, but possess the ability to perform under pressure.
“We are really pleased with the squad we have selected, it is a good indication of the depth that we have in the country. The road towards the 2023 Cricket World Cup starts now and we want players doing well in our domestic structures to see the rewards of the hard work that they have put in,” selection convenor Linda Zondi said.
The Proeteas ODI squad:
Quinton de Kock (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Jon Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Kyle Verreynne.