Johannesburg – The Board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday defended its selection of several uncapped players, including a new captain, effectively a second-string South Africa Test squad, for the New Zealand series.
The CSA board said it “notes the concerns about the composition of the Test squad that will be travelling to New Zealand later this month”.
The board added: “We reassure the fans that CSA has the utmost respect for the Test format as the pinnacle of the game we love.
“The dates for this tour were set when the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-2027 was finalised in 2022.”
The board said the window for the SA20 had not been determined at that stage.
“Once it became apparent that there would be a clash, we made every effort to find another mutually suitable time slot for this 2 Test series in consultation with New Zealand Cricket,” explained the board.
“Regrettably the constraints imposed by the global cricket calendar rendered this impossible, as the games must be played before April 2025 as part of the World Test Championship.”
The New Zealand series will also be the Proteas’ first Test series after Dean Elgar’s retirement.
Only seven capped players make the squad of 14, with Duanne Olivier being the most experienced.
Olivier has played for SA in 12 Tests, but his last stint was a Test in 2022.
Dane Piedt, the off-spinner who last played a Test in 2019, is also making a comeback after it seemed he had opted to end his South Africa career in 2020 to move to the U.S.A..
Thirty-seven-year-old Shaun von Berg, a veteran of 135 first-class matches, could be in line for his Test debut.
However, CSA brushed aside concerns saying: “We commend head coach, Shukri Conrad, and his staff for preparing the selected players for this tour, and we are confident that they will represent the Proteas badge with honour.
“We wish them all the very best. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the depth of talent that we have in South Africa.”
CSA said it remains fully committed to international cricket and to strengthening the SA20, a tournament that was initiated by us to help grow and sustain the game.
“Our schedule for the remainder of the FTP has been managed to ensure that there will not be any further clashes between our bilateral commitments and the SA20,” the board said.
