JOHANNESBURG: Proteas Men’s white-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced a 15- member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan from 19 February – 09 March.
One-Day International captain Temba Bavuma will lead the full-strength squad, which includes 10 players who competed in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, where South Africa reached the semi-finals.
Batters Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs, along with all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, have been selected for their first senior 50-over ICC tournament.
Anrich Nortje, who missed out on the World Cup due to injury, makes his return. The fast bowler has made a full recovery from a left toe injury and is joined by fellow seamer Lungi Ngidi, who has also returned to action following a groin injury.
South Africa has been drawn in Group B, with their opening fixture against Afghanistan on 21 February in Karachi. Bavuma’s side will then travel to Rawalpindi to take on Australia on 25 February, before returning to Karachi for their final group stage match against England on 01 March.
Cricket South Africa High-Performance Batting Lead Imraan Khan will join the support staff as batting coach.
Commenting on the squad, Walter said: “This squad boasts a wealth of experience, with many players having consistently performed in high pressure situations. That kind of experience is invaluable in a tournament like this.
“We’ve managed to maintain the core group of our 2023 World Cup squad, whilst adding fresh talent.
“Our recent performances at ICC events show that we’re capable of reaching the latter stages of global tournaments. We’re eager to take the next step and go even further in pursuit of the coveted silverware.
“We’re also looking forward to Imraan joining our support staff. He will be a great asset as we look to strengthen our batting and continue improving as a unit.”
The squad for the preceding tri-series against hosts Pakistan and New Zealand (08 – 14 February) will be announced in due course.
South Africa squad – ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Temba Bavuma (captain, DP World Lions), Tony de Zorzi (World Sports Betting Western Province), Marco Jansen (Renault North West Dragons), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Wiaan Mulder (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Dafabet Warriors), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors), and Rassie van der Dussen (DP World Lions).
Management
Rob Walter (Head Coach), Khomotso Volvo Masubelele (Team Manager), Imraan Khan (Batting Coach), Anton Roux (Bowling Coach), Wandile Gwavu (Fielding Coach), Runeshan Moodley (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Matthew Reuben (Performance Analyst), Sizwe Hadebe (Physiotherapist), Dr Konrad von Hagen (Team Doctor), Kyle Botha (Logistics and Masseur), Lucy Davey (Media Manager), and Brian Khonto (Security Officer).
South Africa Group Stage Itinerary (all times local)
Friday, 21 February – 14:00 (11:00 SAST)
Afghanistan vs South Africa – National Stadium, Karachi
Tuesday, 25 February – 14:00 (11:00 SAST)
Australia vs South Africa – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Saturday, 01 March – 14:00 (11:00 SAST)
South Africa vs England – National Stadium, Karachi
Source: cricket.co.za
Quinton de Kock: With an HPI of 12.70, Quinton de Kock is the 6th most famous South African Cricketer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Quinton de Kock (born 17 December 1992) is a South African cricketer and former captain of the Proteas in all three formats. He currently plays for South Africa in limited overs cricket, Titans at the domestic level, and Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. He was named the Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s 2017 Annual Awards.An opening batsman and wicket-keeper, de Kock made his domestic debut for the Highveld Lions during the 2012/2013 season. He quickly caught the national selectors’ eye when he starred in a match-winning partnership with Neil McKenzie in the Champions League T20 against the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also finished fourth on the first-class rankings, despite playing only six of the 10 matches that summer. De Kock made his international debut in the first match of South Africa’s home Twenty20 International series against the touring New Zealanders during the 2012/13 season. He was asked to keep wickets in place of AB de Villiers, who asked to be rested. He has since played regularly for the team at both One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) level. In February 2014, he also made his Test debut for South Africa, playing solely as a batsman. By his 20th ODI match, De Kock had already scored five centuries. He became the fourth player to score three successive one-day centuries and the second player to score four ODI centuries before his 21st birthday. In his 74th ODI, against Sri Lanka on 10 February 2017, he became the fastest player to complete 12 ODI hundreds, bettering Hashim Amla, who had achieved the landmark in 81 innings. Before joining the Titans in 2015, de Kock played domestic cricket for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions. He has also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Mumbai Indians. Although he opens the batting in One Day International and T20 cricket, he primarily bats in the middle order in Test cricket. In July 2020, he was named South Africa’s Men’s Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards ceremony. In December 2020, in the series against Sri Lanka, de Kock captained South Africa for the first time in Test cricket.
breadmaker
Sport Trivia: Who was the first woman swimmer to win both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. She won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the 1996 Olympics, the first woman to do so. She broke the world and Olympic records for the 100m breaststroke and broke the Olympic record for the 200m breaststroke. In 1999 she held 5 out of a possible 6 world breaststroke records, the first time this had ever been achieved (50m, 100m and 200m, plus same distances in 25m short course pool) — the one she \”missed\” was the 200m short course.
Fiend Oblivion
When a batsman scores 100 runs, it’s called a century and is considered an achievement.