Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday, announced a strong 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on December 17.

South Africa’s frontline pacer Kagiso Rabada, alongside hard-hitting batters David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen returned to the ODI team since 2023.

Rabada’s last ODI appearance for the Proteas men dates back to ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, while Miller and Klaasen last featured in the format in December 2023.

The squad also features 18-year-old pacer Kwena Maphaka, who earned his maiden ODI call-up after his stellar performance in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup earlier this year, where he was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.

The right-arm pacer is also a part of South Africa’s squad for the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan.

He was exceptional with the ball in the series opener in Durban as he claimed the key wickets of Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and ace batter Babar Azam to return brilliant bowling figures of 2/39 in his four overs.

South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter shared that the squad features best-available players, capable of being a match-winner, to fine-tune their preparations for the next year’s ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, slated to be held in Pakistan.

“We have named our strongest squad available, with each player capable of being a match-winner on their day, and we are extremely excited to see how this group performs together,” Walter said.

“We are very pleased with this squad. This series will be crucial in fine-tuning our combinations ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy next year, and we are looking forward to the challenge,” he added.

South Africa’s squad for Pakistan ODIs: Temba Bavuma (c), Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

ODI Series Itinerary:

17 December, 1st ODI, Paarl

19 December, 2nd ODI, Cape Town

22 December, 3rd ODI, Johannesburg

Cricket South Africa suffered a major setback as star pacer Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the T20I series against Pakistan, as well as the subsequent three-match ODI series.

The 31-year-old speedster missed the opening T20I after sustaining a contusion to his left big toe during training. Scans later confirmed a fracture, which sidelined him for the remainder of the series.

Uncapped all-rounder Dayyaan Galiem has been named as his replacement.

The 27-year-old, who boasts an impressive T20 record with 46 wickets in 60 matches, was eager to make his mark on the international stage.

Nortje’s injury came at a crucial juncture. The pacer had not represented South Africa since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in June, where he was the team’s standout performer after taking 15 wickets.

Recently, he also opted out of a national contract to manage his workload, which added further strain to the Proteas’ bowling resources.

South Africa’s injury woes extended beyond Nortje, with fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee (groin), Nandre Burger (lower back stress fracture), and Lungi Ngidi (hip) all sidelined. Additionally, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder also fractured his finger during the first Test against Sri Lanka.

The hosts are scheduled to face Pakistan in the second T20I match at Centurion tomorrow after winning the series opener in Durban by 11 runs.

South Africa posted 183/9 in their allotted 20 overs, while Pakistan was restricted to 172/8 in reply.

A win for the Proteas will clinch the series, while a victory for Pakistan will level it, with the third and final match set to take place in Johannesburg on December 14.

Debutant Faisal Akram and Salman Ali Agha shared six wickets between them to rattle Zimbabwe for a modest total in the first ODI of the three-match series here at Queens Sports Club on Sunday.

Put into bat first, the home side only managed 205 before getting bundled out in the 41st over.

The hosts got off to a flying start to their innings as openers Joylord Gumbie and Tadiwanashe Marumani notched up 40 runs inside six overs.

The strong opening partnership, however, had an agonizing end as Gumbie was run out after a mix-up in the sixth over. He scored 15 off 17 deliveries, hitting three boundaries.

Marumani was then involved in brief partnerships with Dion Myers, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams before finally perishing in the 16th over with the scoreboard reading 83/4. He scored 29 off 41 balls with the help of two fours and a six.

His dismissal sparked a middle-order collapse, which had reduced Zimbabwe to 125/7 in 25.4 overs.

But, a fighting eighth-wicket partnership between Sikandar Raza and Richard Ngarava uplifted the hosts.

The duo frustrated Pakistan bowlers with a defiant 62-run partnership, which was eventually broken by debutant Faisal Akram, who sent Raza packing in the 38th over.

The all-rounder remained a notable contributor with a 56-ball 39, featuring six fours.

Faisal struck again in the 38th over as he dismissed Blessing Muzarabani for a three-ball duck, reducing Zimbabwe to 187/9.

Meanwhile, Ngarva put on a notable fight and pushed Zimbabwe’s total past the 200-run mark, courtesy of a resilient 10th-wicket partnership with Trevor Gwandu, who remained unbeaten on three.

Ngarva remained the top-scorer for Zimbabwe with a gutsy 48 off 52 deliveries, studded with six boundaries including a six.

Faisal and Agha jointly-led Pakistan’s bowling charge by picking up three wickets each, while Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain and Aamir Jamal made one scalp apiece.

Pakistan’s right-arm pacer Naseem Shah has recovered from the injury ahead of the second ODI of the ongoing three-match series against Australia, scheduled to be played on Friday here at Adelaide Oval.

According to the details, Naseem participated in the national team’s training session today and bowled at full potential. He will be available for the second ODI, sources further revealed.

Remember, Naseem was forced to leave the field midway his eighth over in the ODI series opener against Australia as the right-arm pacer suffered severe pain due to cramps.

Naseem displayed exceptional all-round brilliance in Pakistan’s two-wicket defeat in the series opener as he registered decent bowling figures of 1/39 in 7.2 overs after a blistering 40-run knock with the bat, which featured one four and four sixes.

Remember, Australia lead the three-match series 1-0, courtesy of their narrow two-wicket victory in the series opener at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The second ODI is scheduled to be played at Adelaide Oval on Friday.

The green shirts boast a dismal ODI record at the Adelaide Oval as they managed to win just one out of their eight matches.

Their solitary ODI victory at the venue came in 1996 under the leadership of Wasim Akram when Saqlain Mushtaq’s five-wicket haul bamboozled Australia by 12 wickets.

Squads

Pakistan’s ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Australia’s ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Australia’s batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell praised Pakistan team’s unique and unpredictable style of play ahead of the One Day International (ODI) series, scheduled to take place from November.

Speaking in an interview, Maxwell shed light on the challenges that teams face while preparing for contests against the men in green.

“They are very hard to prepare for and I suppose get ready for because you’re just not sure what could happen and they are so dangerous in all areas of the game. They’ve got good spinners they’ve got good quicks up front and they’ve got batters that can win games for them” Maxwell said.

“I think you are gonna see those ebbs and flows when you play against them in this white-ball series and it’s gonna be so entertaining because they play an amazing brand of cricket where literally anything could happen. It’s gonna be hard for us to stay in our own bubble and concentrate on our own things because they can be super destructive to whatever plans you’ve got,” he added.

It is worth noting here that the Rizwan-led side have reached Melbourne earlier on Wednesday.

Rizwan was accompanied by vice-captain Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafiq, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah, and Arafat Minhas.

Previously, prominent players including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah alongside three other players arrived on Tuesday.