Heinrich Klaasen to Lead South Africa

With Aiden Markram engaged in the Test series against Sri Lanka, Heinrich Klaasen will step in as captain for South Africa in their upcoming home T20I series against Pakistan. This series, set between December 10 and 14, coincides with the conclusion of the second Test on December 9, leaving several key players, including Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, and Tristan Stubbs, unavailable. However, these all-format stars will return for the ODI series in early 2025 as South Africa fine-tunes its preparations for the Champions Trophy.

(H2) Fresh Additions to the Squad

The T20I side welcomes back Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi, marking their first appearance since the T20 World Cup in June. All-rounder George Linde also returns, having last played a T20I in July 2021. Linde’s impressive domestic form in the CSA T20 Challenge—171 runs at a strike rate of 178.12 and nine wickets at an average of 18.33—earns him a well-deserved spot.

"Anrich is very much in line for the Champions Trophy," South Africa's white-ball head coach Rob Walter said. "He has a lot of experience, so playing lots of 50-over cricket is not necessary. Before that, he will be very active in the SA20 and in this series. I am not worried about him from a playing point of view. He is not a young cricketer, he understands his game. There's enough cricket between now and then for him to be selected."

White-ball head coach Rob Walter highlighted Nortje’s readiness for the Champions Trophy, accentuating his vast experience and participation in the SA20 and this series. Addressing the absence of seaming all-rounders like Wiaan Mulder and Jansen, Walter explained the decision to bring in Linde as a spinning all-rounder. Patrick Kruger and 21-year-old Andile Simelane also add depth as seam-bowling all-rounders, with Walter expressing particular enthusiasm about Simelane’s potential. "Andile has shown exceptional promise with both bat and ball," he said, citing the player’s explosive debut and overall skill set as reasons for optimism.

A Challenging Year for South Africa

Despite reaching the T20 World Cup final earlier this year, South Africa has yet to secure a bilateral series victory in 2024. The lack of a full-strength squad has contributed to this, but scrutiny remains on Walter’s leadership. Acknowledging the pressure, Walter admitted he expects better results from the team and takes personal responsibility for their performance, stating, "As head coach, it starts with me. We are in the results business."

Series Schedule

The squad will hold a two-day preparation camp at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from December 6-8. The series will kick off in Durban on December 10, followed by consecutive matches in Centurion and Johannesburg on December 13 and 14.

South Africa T20I Squad for Pakistan Series 

• Captain: Heinrich Klaasen
• Squad: Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen

As the Proteas gear up for the series, all eyes will be on Klaasen’s leadership and the team’s ability to end their winless streak in bilateral series this year.