South Africa name Test squad

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have picked wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder — both uncapped in Tests — in their cricket squad for the first two Tests against Australia.

All-rounders Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo, and fast bowler Duanne Olivier were the players to miss out on selection, after having been part of the squad for the Tests against India.

Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers and Temba Bavuma, all of whom missed all or part of the One-Day and Twenty20 International series against India due to injuries, were named in the Test squad. Dale Steyn, who was injured during the first Test against India, was not.

Klaasen travelled as South Africa’s back-up Test wicketkeeper on the tour to New Zealand last March but did not play a game. He has scored 292 runs at 48.66 for Titans in the 2017-18 Sunfoil Series, South Africa’s first-class competition, and played match-winning innings in the Johannesburg ODI and Centurion T20I against India.

“Klaasen has been tremendously impressive in the white-ball matches he has played for the Proteas and we firmly believe he can become just as good a player in the five-day format,” Cricket South Africa’s national selection panel convener Linda Zondi said.

“He has averaged nearly 50 with the bat in Sunfoil four-day cricket this season and hit two centuries. We are also keen to have a back-up wicketkeeper to de Kock in the squad.”

Mulder, 20, was a non-playing member of the Test squad against Bangladesh at the start of the summer in late September.

Ottis Gibson, who attended a round of first-class matches soon after his appointment as South Africa coach, had been impressed with Mulder and identified him as a future prospect.

Mulder averages 61.66 for Lions in the 2017-18 Sunfoil Series — 370 runs in nine innings — and has played one ODI for South Africa, against Bangladesh in October last year.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungisani Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.