South Africa have expectedly left out the IPL-bound players from their 15-man Test squad for the two-match home series against Bangladesh starting March 31.
South Africa will be without their entire first-choice pace attack comprising Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen as well as batters Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen as they chose the IPL over the Test series.
Cricket South Africa had said it would be leaving it to the players to make the decision whether to play in the IPL or in the series, which the Test captain Dean Elgar had called a "litmus test of loyalty".
Middle-order batter Khaya Zondo got his maiden Test call-up and uncapped quick Daryn Dupavillon also found a place in the squad.
Meanwhile, Anrich Nortje once again missed out on selection with a longstanding back and hip issue. That also means there is no clarity about his availability in the IPL, where he is part of the Delhi Capitals side. Nortje last played in November 2021, at the T20 World Cup in the UAE.
The IPL-bound players are set to fly to India for the tournament, which begins on March 26, at the conclusion of the ongoing ODI series.
According to CSA's current MoU with the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), the board cannot refuse players the opportunity to take part in the IPL, as both organisations look to balance the livelihoods and opportunities of players and their duties to the national team.
The first Test starts on March 31 in Durban and the second on April 7 in Port Elizabeth.
The Squad: Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma (vice-capt), Daryn Dupavillon, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor