Cricket South Africa on Monday announced their squads for the three-match T20I series and five-match One-Day International series against Australia beginning at the end of August.

In his first international call-up, exciting 20-year-old batter Dewald Brevis has been named in both white-ball squads.

Brevis first rose to prominence when he smashed his way to become the leading run-scorer at the under-19 Cricket World Cup in January last year with 506 runs – the most by any batter in a single edition of the tournament.

The swashbuckling batter also currently holds the record for the highest individual domestic T20 score in South Africa – 162 runs off 57 balls – which he struck in last season’s T20 Challenge for the Titans against the Knights.

“It’s great to have Dewald in the squads,” said Rob Walter, Proteas white-ball coach. 

“He performed well in Sri Lanka (for South Africa ‘A’), he’s performed well domestically, he’s been involved in a number of leagues internationally… so it’s nice to be able to give him an opportunity.

“He’s one of our up-and-coming youngsters, so we’ve said we wanted to just broaden our base a little bit, and this Aussie series has been a perfect opportunity to give him a run.”

Joining Brevis in the T20I squad for the first time are his Titans teammates Donovan Ferreira and Gerald Coetzee – the latter could add to his Test and ODI caps if selected – as well as Warriors batter, Matthew Breetzke.

Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada are rested for the three-match T20I series and will return for the five-match ODI series.

Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton, who both featured for the Proteas in the ODI series against West Indies in March, have not been included in either squad.

It is unlikely that any player not in the current 19-player ODI squad will make the ODI World Cup in India in October.

The 15-player squad for the World Cup will be announced on 5 September, while the ODI series against Australia begins two days later.

Maharaj returns

Another surprise inclusion in both the T20I (only second and third) and ODI squads is that of Keshav Maharaj.

Maharaj sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in March this year while playing a Test match for the Proteas against West Indies.

An injury like this can keep an athlete off the park for up to a year, but it has only taken Maharaj five months to potentially get back on to the oval field.

“He’s done exceptionally well to this point. He’s ahead of where we thought he would be, which is awesome, due in no short measure to the effort that he’s been putting in,” Walter said.

“Things look positive, but you know it’s very difficult to guesstimate this last portion of his recovery and being match-ready and taking what you look like on the practice field into a match scenario.”

Maharaj has been an integral part of the Proteas’ 50-over setup since his debut in 2017 and could potentially have a big role in South Africa’s quest for a maiden World Cup trophy in India.

Walter, however, will not be tempted to rush the left-arm tweaker back into action.

“We actually saw the T20I series – given that you know the lesser load in terms of overs bowled and time on feet – as a great opportunity just to see where he’s at, but we still have two weeks before that arrives and so we’ve got a camp to get through,” the coach said.

“I’m quietly hopeful that he’ll be ready for those T20s, and if not then, we set our attention to the 50 overs and we just take it bit by bit… but things look positive at this stage.” 

Rassie and Temba back

Regular Proteas T20I middle-order batter Rilee Rossouw has been left out of the squad to take on Australia due to an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, former T20 skipper Temba Bavuma as well as stalwart batter, Rassie van der Dussen, have both been drafted back into the shorter-format squad — after both missed out in the most recent series against West Indies. 

“When [Bavuma and Van Der Dussen] were omitted, it was in some cases a performance-based thing as well as the type of game we wanted to play as a T20 side,” Walter said.

“But I was very specific in saying it’s our job to get them back into the team. So we spent – along with the players themselves – a lot of time working on their games.

“Rassie’s been off to the Canada GT20, Temba has been working tirelessly back here. So with Quinny [de Kock], David [Miller], Heinrich Klaasen sitting out and Riley missing through injury, it’s a perfect opportunity to give them a run… and for them to be able to show that they are able to manoeuvre their games and grow their games.

“I’m excited to see what they have to offer. I think they’re both wonderful players and they’ve both definitely got the qualities to do it.” DM 

Proteas T20I squad against Australia

Aiden Markram (captain, Titans), Temba Bavuma (Lions), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Donovan Ferreira (Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (Lions), Reeza Hendricks (Lions), Marco Jansen (Warriors), Sisanda Magala (Lions), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Lizaad Williams (Titans) and Rassie van der Dussen (Lions).

Proteas ODI squad against Australia

Temba Bavuma (captain, Lions), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Quinton de Kock (Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (Lions), Reeza Hendricks (Lions), Marco Jansen (Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Titans), Sisanda Magala (Lions), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Titans), David Miller (Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans), Wayne Parnell (Western Province), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), and Rassie van der Dussen (Lions).