JP Duminy will captain the SA Invitation XI side to face Bangladesh on Thursday, October 12.  

The sides will play at Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Oval, and Duminy will lead a well-balanced side which includes the likes of AB de Villiers, ex-SA U19 captain Wiaan Mulder, as well Test debutant Aiden Markram.

‘Now that JP has retired from first-class cricket this will be a quality match play opportunity for him ahead of the ODI Series,’ commented CSA national selection panel convener Linda Zondi. ‘We are expecting AB to play in the next round of Sunfoil Series matches, but he too, will benefit from some game time in the shorter format.

‘This match also provides the ideal opportunity for us to expand our player base for white-ball cricket, grow our talent and generally plan for the future. Aiden Markram, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Heinrich Klaasen and Wiaan Mulder are all players who fall into this category.

‘Robbie Frylinck is yet another player to be looked at in the all-rounder category, while we have identified Matthew Breetzke as a young player who will play a key role for South Africa at next year’s U19 World Cup. He is 18 and yet another outstanding talent to come out of Grey High in Port Elizabeth.

‘One of the reasons why India do so well at youth level is that they expose their younger players to compete in senior cricket at a young age, and we intend to follow a similar path going forward,’ concluded Zondi.

SA Invitation XI: JP Duminy (Cape Cobras, capt), Matthew Breetzke (EP), Mbulelo Budaza (Knights), AB de Villiers (Titans), Robbie Frylinck (Dolphins), Beuran Hendricks (Highveld Lions), Heinrich Klaasen (Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Titans), Wiaan Mulder (Highveld Lions), Malusi Siboto (Titans), Khaya Zondo (Dolphins)

Photo: Joel Ford/Getty Images