ICC Cricket
Teenage seamer, Kwena Maphaka, will earn his first cap in the 50-over format of the game after being included in the squad to take on Pakistan in the upcoming three-match ODI series.
White-ball head coach Rob Walter announced a strong 15-player squad for the series on Thursday, scheduled from 17- 22 December.
Maphaka, of the DP World Lions, has already been capped in the T20 Internationals, with Cricket South Africa saying that he “has displayed immense promise having been named Player of the Tournament at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup earlier this year after taking 21 wickets at an average of 9.71”.
His stock has only continued to rise since then, propelling him into the senior national team where he has already featured four times for South Africa.
Maphaka will join Kagiso Rabada, who makes his return to the ODI squad for the first time since the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup semi-final against Australia in November.
The squad also features Hollywoodbets Dolphins fast bowler Ottneil Baartman, alongside all-rounders Marco Jansen and Andile Phehlukwayo.
In the batting department, the squad, led by Temba Bavuma, is bolstered by the return of David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, who last featured in an ODI in December 2023 against India.
The series begins on Tuesday, 17 December at Boland Park in Paarl with the second ODI at World Sports Betting Newlands on 19 December, followed by the annual Pink Day and final ODI on Sunday, 22 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Walter said they have named their 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.
“The bowling line-up features one of the fastest in the game in KG, and this series offers another great opportunity for a young talent like Kwena to come in and learn first-hand from the best.
“In the batting department, we are thrilled to welcome back David and Heinrich, two of the most destructive players in the game.
