Morne van Wyk will play his first international match for South Africa in nearly four years when the Proteas play the West Indies in the first Twenty20 International at Newlands next week.
The 35-year-old Dolphins captain is the only wicketkeeper in the 14-man T20 squad for the three-match series in Cape Town on January 9, Joburg on January 11 and Durban on January 14.
Van Wyk is also in the mix as a back-up batsman for the final ODI squad for the ICC World Cup set to be announced next week.
“Obviously I’m honoured and I feel quite emotional. Playing for your country represents the pinnacle of anyone’s career and I feel privileged to have been chosen,” Van Wyk said yesterday after he had received a call from the chairman of the national selectors, Andrew Hudson.
Van Wyk, who has played three T20Is and 13 ODIs, received the call-up after first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies tour after he tore the ligaments in his ankle during the first Test at Centurion.
The injury will take approximately two months to heal and the Proteas’ management is not completely sure that De Kock will recover in time for the World Cup.
Van Wyk would be an obvious replacement for the youngster, because, like De Kock, he opens in both the T20 and one-day formats. Although he struggled for runs in this season’s RamSlam T20 Challenge, he has been in prolific form in the Momentum One-Day Cup.
Together with Cameron Delport, he broke the world record for the biggest partnership in List A cricket when the pair put on 367 for the Dolphins against the Knights in Bloemfontein on October 17.
At the halfway stage of the competition, Van Wyk has scored 353 runs at an average of 95.
Assuming he plays next week, it will be Van Wyk’s first T20I in exactly four years.
He last played for the Proteas in the format against India on January 9, 2011.
Long-term injury concerns JP Duminy and Aaron Phangiso were also named in the T20 squad.
With the 50-over World Cup looming, key players Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Morné Morkel have again been rested having not played in this format since the World Cup in Bangladesh in April. The side is to be captained by Faf du Plessis.
Van Wyk’s international commitments, as well as those of Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Kyle Abbott and Khaya Zondo – who is likely to play for South Africa ‘A’ in the forthcoming series against the England Lions – means there will be major changes to the Dolphins squad when they play their next two Sunfoil Series matches against the Warriors next week and the Knights the week after.
There is good depth in batsmen – with the injured Cody Chetty ready to return – and pace bowlers, but the major issue will be the identity of the replacement for Van Wyk as captain and wicketkeeper.
The obvious candidate is the former Dolphins captain in 2012/13, Daryn Smit.
Smit is a superb wicketkeeper and a decent lower middle-order batsman.
He is also just the kind of tough, experienced competitor the Dolphins need at the helm for the remainder of the season.
There are alternatives, however, with KZN provincial captain Divan van Wyk and KZN Inland’s Kyle Nipper possibilities.
Another alternative is that the wicketkeeping slot can be filled by Daniel Sincuba, who impressed in this week’s Sunfoil Series win against the Titans.
Smit, however, represents the ideal choice of captain and wicketkeeper and it would be a major shock to see him ignored. - The Star