Proteas coach Rob Walter says he has selected the best possible squad for the T20 World Cup.
Former captain Temba Bavuma’s omission means Kagiso Rabada is the only black African in the 15-man squad for the tournament in the West Indies and USA in June.
“The reality and my No 1 imperative is to create a winning Proteas team,” Walter explained on Tuesday. “In order to do that, every time I have to pick the best at the time that I think will give us a chance of doing that.
“The system really needs to up the ante so that in six months, 12 months or two years time, and particular when we reach the 2027 [ODI] World Cup at home, that we the demographics and representation in our team starts to look a bit different.
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“Outside of the World Cup, we’ll continue to use our bilateral series to grow our base of players to create international opportunities,” Walter added.
“We need to ensure we’re bought in and are delivering on a process that’s going to change what our team looks like.”
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Proteas squad: Aiden Markram (c, Titans), Ottniel Baartman (Dolphins), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Quinton de Kock (Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (Lions), Reeza Hendricks (Lions), Marco Jansen (Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), David Miller (Dolphins), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Kagiso Rabada (Lions) Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors).
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
