South Africa's five WT20 omissions explained

News

Cricket365
February 19, 2014

South Africa's World Twenty20 squad lacks at least five players that perhaps should have been selected ahead of Farhaan Behardien, Aaron Phangiso and company.

The talented Ryan McLaren's absence from the World Twenty20 squad validates the future rather than rejects the present. McLaren, alongside fellow all-rounder Wayne Parnell, has been earmarked as a replacement – of sorts – for the veteran Jacques Kallis in the Test team.

He remains the country's leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket for the past 12 months, too, so the bid to not overburden the 31-year-old with the most insignificant format in the international game is understandable.

The hard-hitting David Wiese has, effectively, been beaten to the post by franchise team-mate Albie Morkel. Wiese's so-called trial run in Sri Lanka in the middle of last year didn't promise much – and typified a Behardien-esque inability to make the move from provincial to international cricket successfully. Behardien, however, inexplicably remains in the Proteas' fold.

The right-handed Henry Davids made a mere 18 runs in six T20I innings last year – and was unsuccessfully deployed in the ODI middle order. Regardless, captain Faf du Plessis maintained: "He is the next best batsman in the set-up, but he needs to make sure he can play anywhere in the team. If we have an injury in the World T20, Henry needs to make sure he can step into any position." The door remains ajar, if not open.

The official website of the King's XI Punjab committed a laughable media clanger by posting a picture of seamer Rory Kleinveldt when announcing recent IPL signing Beuran Hendricks had been named in South Africa's WT20 squad.

Perhaps there was some symbolism in the error, though, as the beefy Kleinveldt has accrued a T20I record superior to most across a career that started in 2008.

The impending forgotten man of South African Test cricket, spinner Robin Peterson can consider himself unlucky to have been overlooked – ostensibly for fellow left-arm slow bowler Phangiso.

Peterson boasts a penchant for big performances in major ICC events – and has been to the sub-continent enough times to command a thorough knowledge of conditions.

Jonhenry Wilson | @JonhenryWilson