South Africa name three uncapped players for Ireland, Australia series

Batsman Temba Bavuma together with all-rounders Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo ready to earn caps

JOHANNESBURG: Three new players were named by Cricket South Africa on Tuesday in squads to play one-day internationals against Ireland and Australia.

Test batsman Temba Bavuma is set to earn his first one-day cap in the one-off international against Ireland in Benoni on September 25, together with all-rounders Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo, who are both newcomers to the international cricket.

Bavuma and Pretorius are only in line to play against Ireland, while Phehlukwayo will remain in the squad for five matches against Australia, starting in Centurion on September 30.

Following Cricket South Africa's adoption of new race targets for the national team, it seems likely that four black African players will turn out against Ireland.

The organisation committed last Saturday to having an average of six black players in the national team, two of which would be black African, with the numbers to be assessed over a full season.

In addition to Bavuma and Phehlukwayo, fast bowler Kagiso Rabada and left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso seem likely starters for the Benoni match.

Fast bowler Morne Morkel and batsman Rilee Rossouw, both recovering from injury, were not considered for the squads,  but captain AB de Villiers is expected to be fit after missing a recent Test series against New Zealand because of an elbow injury.

Pretorius, 27, and Phehlukwayo, 20, were among the more successful players for South Africa A in a recent quadrangular series in Australia.

South African squads:

Ireland match:  AB de Villiers (captain), Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia series: AB de Villiers (captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Behardien, De Kock, Duminy, Du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Miller, Morris, Parnell, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn.

Fixtures:

Ireland

Sept 25: South Africa v Ireland, Benoni

Sept 27, Australia v Ireland, Benoni

Australia

Sept 30: First one-day international, Centurion

Oct 2: Second one-day international, Johannesburg

Oct 5: Third one-day international, Durban

Oct 9: Fourth one-day international, Port Elizabeth

Oct 12: Fifth one-day international, Cape Town