South Africa Name Squads For ODIs, T20I And Tests For India Matches; Aiden Markram Named New ODI Captain, Temba Bavuma To Lead Test Team

Aiden Markram has been named as the captain of the South Africa men's white-ball team which take on India from December 9 at home.

Aiden Markran and Temba Bavuma. (Image: X)

Cricket South Africa announced the squad for the home series vs India which starts on December 10 with the T20Is. The Men in Blue are touring South Africa to play matches across formats. Aiden Markram has been named as the new ODI captain of the South African team while he will also lead the T20I team. Temba Bavuma will continue to lead the Test team, as per the release by Cricket South Africa.

CSA further said that Bavuma and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada have been omitted from thw white-ball leg of the India tour as the board puts more emphasis on the Tests. 

Check the SA squads for India series here:

SA T20I squad: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee (1st and 2nd T20Is), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen (1st and 2nd T20Is), Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi (1st and 2nd T20Is), Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs and Lizaad Williams

SA ODI squad: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Mihlali Mpongwana, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams

SA Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne

Mihlali Mpongwana, David Bedingham, and Nandre Burger, all uncapped, have received their inaugural national team selections. Burger, a pacer, secured spots in all three squads, while Bedingham, a batter, made it to the Test squad. Mpongwana, an all-rounder, showcased a stellar performance in a Division 1 tournament's final in October, earning a spot in the ODI squad.

Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi won't be available for the 3rd T20I and the ODI series. They'll be joining Bavuma and Rabada in playing some first-class matches to prep for the upcoming Test series. Aiden Markram, the T20I captain, will lead the ODI squad while Bavuma is away. Tristan Stubbs, the rising star known for his impressive IPL performances, has received his maiden call-up to South Africa's Test squad.

_ SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT _

CSA has today named the Proteas squads for the all-format inbound tour against India from 10 Dec - 7 Jan ____

Captain Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are amongst a group of players that have been omitted for the white-ball leg of the tour in order to_ pic.twitter.com/myFE24QZaz

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 4, 2023

Shukri Conrad, the Test head coach, expressed that the commencement of a new ICC World Test Championship cycle serves as a significant motivation. He highlighted the leveled playing field and emphasized the team's determination to kick off the sequence strongly against one of the world's top teams at home.

He noted the availability of a nearly full-strength squad as a substantial advantage and mentioned the inclusion of promising newcomers like David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, and Tristan Stubbs in the Test squad. Conrad also acknowledged the return of other players who had showcased impressive performances after their stint with their respective unions.

"Following a strong performance in the recently concluded ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, we aim to harness that momentum and further strengthen our core team during the upcoming Freedom Series," stated Rob Walter, the white-ball coach for South Africa.