Capetown: After remaining out of action due to a series of injuries, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is all set to join the ODI squad for the three-match series against Zimbabwe, starting September 30.
The 35-year-old had played his last one-day match against Australia in 2016.
While opening batsman Quinton de Kock and smashing left-hand batsman David Miller have been rested to give young players a chance ahead of the World Cup, spinner Imran Tahir has been named in the squad for the Zimbabwe ODIs.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury, has been named in both T20I team and ODI squads but his participation in the matches would depend on his fitness level.
Reflecting on the captain’s injury, the South African team’s manager and doctor Mohammed Moosajee said that he is still recuperating from the injury, and would be monitored on a weekly basis.
“Faf continues to make a recovery from the shoulder injury he suffered in Sri Lanka. It is a week by week case and a call will be made in due course,” Sport24 quoted Moosajee, as saying.
Young batting all-rounder Christiaan Jonker is among the new talents that have been opted for the ODI squad, keeping in mind the 2019 cricket World Cup.
Cricket South Africa National Selection Panel convener Linda Zondi, while speaking about the new faces in the ODI team, said that the selection of Jonker along with right-hand batsman Khaya Zondo is a part of their larger plan for the major tournament.
“The selection of Christiaan Jonker is part of the ongoing process of our Vision 2019. He had an outstanding debut in the T20 format against India and we want to see whether he can convert that finishing form into the longer white-ball format as well,” Zondi said.
“We have also recalled Khaya Zondo to the ODI squad as another part of the pool broadening process. He had an outstanding quadrangular series for SA A in India against high-quality opposition, scoring our only century and having a strike rate of 95. We still have ODI series after this one against Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as we get closer to finalising our likely World Cup squad,” he added.
South Africa and Zimbabwe are slated to begin their ODI campaign from September 30, followed by a three-match T20 international series starting October 9.
Following are the full South Africa ODI squad against Zimbabwe:
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Khaya Zondo.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]