Proteas expect to settle on World Cup squad by end of Zimbabwe ODI series

Johannesburg: South Africa expect to settle down on a 15-man squad for next year`s Cricket World Cup by the time their ODI series against Zimbabwe, which gets underway at Queens Sports Club on Sunday, concludes.

South Africa has lost just two out of 32 ODIs to Zimbabwe, and captain AB de Villiers confirmed that they would use the three-match series to assess their back-up options ahead of the 50-over showpiece in Australia and New Zealand. Pacing trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander has been rested for the ODI encounter with Zimbabwe, giving Kyle Abbott, Marchant de Lange, Wayne Parnell and the uncapped Mthokozisi Shezi an opportunity to stake their claim for a place in a first-choice squad, Sport24 reported. South Africa is hoping to settle on that squad before the triangular series against Zimbabwe and Australia, which starts in Harare on August 25. De Villiers said that this series against Zimbabwe is part of preparing to get to that perfect 15 eventually, and make sure that South Africa does not go to the World Cup with the wrong 15. So, the skipper added that they would see some new faces in this series, and then he thinks with the triangular series they would try and get South Africa`s best 11 on the field and their best 15 in the squad.