Tag: South Africa

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma is set to miss warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand at ICC World Cup 2023 because he is flying back home for family reasons.

Aiden Markram will fill in Bavuma’s shoes and will lead South Africa in the warm-up games with Afghanistan and New Zealand on September 29 and October 2, respectively. Both matches will be played at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

🟢#CWC23 TEAM UPDATE 🟡

🏏Proteas ODI Captain Temba Bavuma will travel back home due to family reasons

Bavuma misses 2️⃣ #CWC23 warm-up matches

🆚️Afghanistan 🇦🇫
🆚️New Zealand 🇳🇿

Markram will captain in his absence #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/iC3PwcSPrY

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 28, 2023

Temba Bavuma is set to join the team before South Africa’s first match at the ICC World Cup 2023 against Sri Lanka at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 7.

South Africa are also without experienced fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala, who were ruled out of the ICC World Cup 2023 after failing to clear a fitness test. They were replaced by all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo and pace bowler Lizaad Williams.

Both pace bowlers were named in South Africa’s initial 15-member squad for World Cup 2023 and also featured in the home ODI series victory against Australia.

However, both players failed to play their part in the series victory as Anrich Nortje played only one match and was ruled out after bowling five overs due to a back injury, while, Sisanda Magala managed to pick one wicket in four overs in the third ODI before being ruled out due to discomfort in his previously injured knee.

South Africa’s updated World Cup squad

Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

READ: Netherlands eye semi-final place at ICC World Cup 2023

South Africa’s explosive left-handed batter David Miller holds an international cricket record, which he would prefer not to have.

No one has played more international cricket without playing in a Test match than Miller.

The hard-hitting left-hander has played in 274 white-ball internationals. The nearest contender for the non-Test record is retired West Indian Keiron Pollard on 224.

“I would have loved to play a Test, but it is what it is,” says 34-year-old Miller.

“I’ve achieved quite a lot in my white-ball stuff and I’m grateful to have played so many games.”

David Miller has built a solid first-class record, averaging 36.32 in 63 matches, with six centuries, which he backed up with electrifying fielding.

But it was a time of plenty in a South African Test batting line-up which included Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, while white-ball cricket was becoming ever more prevalent — and lucrative.

In 2018, nearing his 30th birthday, he retired from first-class cricket.

“I wasn’t being picked, even for the South Africa A side. There were guys ahead of me so I decided to concentrate on the white-ball stuff.”

He is in demand from franchises around the world — playing for 22 different representative teams –- and a crowd favourite in South Africa where supporters wave banners proclaiming ‘Killer Miller’ and ‘It’s Miller Time’.

He is one of only four players who has scored more than 3,000 runs in one-day internationals with an average above 40 and a strike rate above 100. The others are De Villiers and England’s Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow.

He is renowned for hitting big sixes and has cleared all three grandstands on different sides of his home ground at Kingsmead in Durban.

Recently he hit a ball out of the ground against Australia at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

An off-the-cuff comment he made after an Indian Premier League game is quoted regularly: “If it’s in the arc it’s out (of) the park, if it’s in the vee it’s in the tree.”

“That came from my dad,” he says.

His father Andrew Miller was a club cricketer who played for Natal Country Districts.

Batting at number six in a side without established all-rounders, David Miller will likely be in situations at the ICC World Cup 2023 where he will have to take responsibility for rebuilding an innings.

“It’s about summing up the situation. Sometimes you are batting with the lower order and you have to decide with your partner at the time how you are going to go about it.

“It’s like a chess game at times. You are thinking about moves and what’s important and what’s not. It’s about making clear decisions. It helps your execution when you are fully committed.”

Both sides of Miller were on display when South Africa had to win the last three matches of a recent home series against Australia after losing the first two.

In the fourth match, he thrashed an unbeaten 82 off 45 balls as he and an inspired Heinrich Klaasen added a scarcely believable 222 off 94 balls for the fifth wicket.

In the deciding match, in trickier conditions, he made a more measured 63 off 65 balls to enable South Africa to get to a defendable total after a difficult start.

“The World Cup is very open,” he says. “We’re a pretty experienced team. We’re capable of doing it, so it’s a matter of getting the basics right for longer periods of time.”

READ: Abdullah Shafique hints at playing modern cricket in ICC World Cup 2023

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa on Monday named a full-strength squad for two must-win one-day internationals against the Netherlands on Friday and Sunday.

The matches in Benoni and Johannesburg are South Africa’s last games in the World Cup Super League – and they must win both if they are to stay in contention to qualify automatically for the Cricket World Cup in India in October and November.

Coach Rob Walter said, “We have named our strongest possible squad given the importance of these matches in the context of qualifying for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. We have a job to do and I am confident that with this group of players we can get the job done.”

Netherlands would not normally be expected to provide stiff competition for South Africa – but they beat the Proteas in the T20 World Cup in Australia last November, ending South Africa’s hopes of playing in the semi-finals.

Only eight teams qualify automatically. South Africa are currently in ninth place.

Two wins would put them in a strong position, ahead of West Indies and with Sri Lanka unable to catch them unless they win both their remaining matches in a current series against New Zealand – and South Africa suffer a penalty for slow over rates.

If Ireland win all three matches in a series against Bangladesh in May they could finish level on points with South Africa if South Africa win both matches against the Netherlands.

Cricket South Africa insisted that players contracted to the Indian Premier League, including fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, must put their country first. This will mean them missing the start of the IPL on Friday.

Squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

READ: Haris Rauf receives honorary DSP rank from Islamabad Police

SYDNEY: Pakistan middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed hit the longest six of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12s during his side’s fixture against South Africa on Thursday.

Iftikhar, who played a responsible knock of 51 runs off just 35 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes, stole the show with his blistering hitting and guided Pakistan to a massive total of 185/9 in their quota of 20 overs.

The right-handed batter came to bat when Pakistan were struggling at 40/3 in the sixth over and left the green shirts in a commanding position – 177/8 in the final over.

Meanwhile, on the fourth delivery of the 16th over, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi banged in short and Iftikhar smashed, connected sweet, to sail the bowl into the top tier for a gigantic 106m six.

Iftikhar’s massive six to Ngidi is the longest six of the Super 12s thus far, surpassing David Miller’s monstrous 104m six against India.

It is pertinent to mention that Iftikhar partnered strongly with Mohammad Nawaz (28) and Shadab Khan (52) to power Pakistan to a commendable 185/9 in 20 overs.

READ: Shadab, Iftikhar hammer Proteas bowlers to take Pakistan to 185/9 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh rattled the opposition batting on a seaming pitch to set up India’s eight-wicket win over South Africa in their opening Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

South Africa recovered from 9-5 in 2.3 overs to post 106-8 after India elected to field first at the start of the three-match series in Thiruvananthapuram.

Arshdeep, a left-arm quick, returned figures of 3-32 and fellow pace bowler Deepak Chahar took two wickets on an unusually bowler-friendly track in India.

India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck and star batsman Virat Kohli for three before the hosts achieved their target with 20 balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead.

KL Rahul (51) and Suryakumar Yadav (50) put on an unbeaten 93-run partnership to complete the chase as India move into their final two matches ahead of the T20 World Cup starting next month in Australia.

“We have played in a few difficult conditions like these but I haven’t got runs in those, so this was hard work,” Rahul said after hitting the winning six.

“Ice baths and wickets like these is not something we enjoy, but we have to do it sometimes.”

Rohit expressed surprised with the nature of the pitch and said, “We knew there will be something for the bowlers, but not through the 20 overs we bowled.”

New-ball bowlers Chahar and Arshdeep made it count after India lost pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to “back pain” before the start of the match.

Number eight Keshav Maharaj hit 41 off 35 balls to help South Africa bat the full 20 overs and add some respectability to their meagre total.

Chahar bowled skipper Temba Bavuma for a fourth-ball duck and fellow opener Quinton de Kock dragged a delivery on to his stumps from left-arm quick Arshdeep.

The Proteas slipped further into trouble when Arshdeep had Rilee Rossouw caught behind for nought and then bowled David Miller the next ball.

It was South Africa’s worst-ever start to a T20 international when Tristan Stubbs fell to Chahar in the third over.

Aiden Markram (25) Wayne Parnell (24) put together 33 runs for the sixth wicket to slow India’s momentum.

Markram smashed three fours and one six before being trapped lbw by Harshal Patel as India successfully reviewed the on-field umpire’s initial decision.

Parnell fell in the 16th over but Maharaj stood firm before his knock ended in the final over as Patel picked up his second wicket.

“We didn’t expect that (pitch), we practiced here two days, ago,” said Bavuma.

“We saw the wicket was spicy, but we didn’t expect it like that. You expected to hit through the line coming to India.”

In reply, India struggled to 17-1 in the first six overs with Kagiso Rabada sending back Rohit and then the hosts lost Kohli, caught behind off fast bowler Anrich Nortje.

Suryakumar eased the nerves with two sixes including a lucky one with an edge that sailed over deep third man to bring the crowd alive.

The in-form Suryakumar hit five fours and three sixes in his 33-ball knock and took on the bowlers with Rahul, who stood anchor, for the company as the two set about the chase with clinical precision.

READ: Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah diagnosed with pneumonia

SOUTHAMPTON: Tabraiz Shami ripped through England’s batting order as South Africa bagged a thumping win by 90 runs to seal the T20I series 2-1 against the hosts, here on Sunday.

Shamsi shone with his career-best figures of 5 for 24 to reduce England on 101 in their chase costing the hosts their third series loss this summer after skipper Jos Butler took charge of England’s white-ball team.

Reeza Hendrick blasted an astounding knock of 70 off 50, smashing nine scintillating boundaries while Aiden Markam anchored the Proteas’ innings with his unbeaten 51 off 36.

With his late cameo of 22 off 9, David Miller helped his team set the hosts a huge 192-run target to chase.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, England bowlers remained unimpressive and costly except David Willey who produced sensational bowling figures of 3 for 25. While Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali made a scalp apiece.

England, on the other hand, struggled with the bat as they were bowled out in the 17th over, with seven of their batters failing to reach double digits.

South Africa’s clever bowling strategy earned them wickets early in the second innings as right-arm pacer Anrich Nortje dismissed the opener Jason Roy for 17 off 18 while left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj got rid of skipper Butler for 14 off 10 to restrict the hosts on 39/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Andile Phehlukwayo and Markram then joined the party and bagged a wicket each as Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali fell cheaply on 7 and 3, respectively, before Shamsi wreaked havoc on England’s batting.

The left-arm spinner stormed England’s lower order with back-to-back wickets dismissing Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, David Willey, Chris Jordan and Adil Rasheed in the span of five overs between the 12th and 16th over.

Bairstow top-scored England’s scorecard with his 27 off 30 before he succumbed to Maharaj to bring the curtains down for his side.

READ: ‘PCB and CWG management took care of my baby well’ Bismah Maroof

JOHANNESBURG: South African skipper – Dean Elgar’s valiant 96* helped the home side to win the second Test by seven wickets; levelling the ongoing series 1-1 against India.

The proteas, resuming their innings at 118/2 after the rain interrupted the day’s play, carried their previous day’s momentum. Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen batted sensibly and partnered strongly to make the run-chase comfortable.

The pair put on an 82-runs partnership before Dussen departed after scoring a well-crafted 40. He faced 92 balls and smashed five boundaries. The side lost their third wicket at a combined score of 175.

However, Temba Bavuma and Elgar then recorded a match-winning partnership of 68-runs. Bavuma scored a handy 23* off 45 balls, laced with three boundaries. Elgar, on the other hand, was even more impressive as the left-handed batter remained unbeaten for his magnificent 96; facing 188 balls. He hit 10 boundaries.

For the men in blue, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin shared one wicket apiece.

Following this victory, the home side has now levelled the series 1-1 against the men in blue with the third Test to take place from January 11 to January 15.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan wins Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year Award

KARACHI: South Africa’s batter AB De Villiers has retired from all forms of cricket with immediate effect. 

De Villiers, who took international cricket retirement in 2018, has now announced retirement from all forms of cricket.

“It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket,” he wrote on social media.

“Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. That’s the reality I must accept – and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time,” he added.

The South African player played 340 T20s and 263 List A matches throughout his career. In international cricket, he holds the record for a fastest century on ODIs which took just 31 balls.

READ: ‘My heart is beating with Pakistan team in Dhaka’ Matthew Hayden

South Africa clinched a four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup group stage fixture in Sharjah on Saturday.

Miller delivers for South Africa 💪#T20WorldCup | #SAvSL | https://t.co/y7yjRJHpoV pic.twitter.com/Fn3LaLMjyN

— ICC (@ICC) October 30, 2021

Sri Lanka, being sent in to bat, were dismissed for 142.

South Africa will chase 143 for a victory 🎯

Can the Sri Lankan bowlers defend this total? #T20WorldCup | #SAvSL | https://t.co/cPSLJYCY5Z pic.twitter.com/Ff1qHcHjxX

— ICC (@ICC) October 30, 2021

Opener Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 72 from 58 balls with the help of six boundaries and two sixes.

Charith Asalanka hit two fours and a maximum on his way to 14-ball 21.

Tabraiz Shamsi and Dwaine Pretorius both got three wickets.

The Proteas completed the run chase with a ball to spare.

Skipper Temba Bavuma was the highest scorer with run-a-ball 46 with a boundary and as many sixes to his name.

David Miller made 13-ball 23 with two sixes for ensuring a victory.

Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva was the pick of the Lankan bowlers with his three-wicket haul.

Dushmantha Chameera bagged two wickets.