Kagiso Rabada is ready to spearhead a menacing pace attack for South Africa during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in February-March in India and Sri Lanka. Fresh from his comeback from a rib injury, Rabada made his comeback with a bang for MI Cape Town on New Year's Eve during the SA20 and is currently part of an impressive fast bowling arsenal boasting pizzazz and diversity with a pool of six quicks.

Rabada will be accompanied by Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, and teenager sensation Kwena Maphaka, who make one of the most promising attacking line-ups in the competition.

New Faces and Unconventional Picks

The South African team comprises seven players who will make their World Cup debut, which also gives an insight into the expertise and young talent that are being selected together as a team. The players making their world debut include Maphaka and Bosch, as well as batsmen Brevis, de Zorzi, and Smith, and all-rounder Linde and Ferreira.
The Proteas will be captained by their regular T20 captain Aiden Markram, with only seven retained from the side which made the final of last year's 2024 T20 World Cup, including the returning Quinton de Kock, who has made himself available for national duty again and is likely to go back to the top of the order.

Veterans David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Rabada, Nortje, and Jansen also feature. All five were in the XI that lost to India by a whisker in last year's final in Barbados.

Omissions of Note and Selection Criteria

A number of established names miss out. Heinrich Klaasen has retired from international cricket, with Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin and Tabraiz Shamsi left out despite their activity in global T20 leagues.

Selection convener Patrick Moroney admitted the tough decisions involved but backed the balance in the squad.

We've had to make some big calls, but we feel this group is the strongest and has every chance of succeeding in India and Sri Lanka, said Moroney. It's a world-class squad combining experience with some of the most exciting young T20 talent coming through.
Add Depth and Versatility, De Zorzi, Smith

The inclusion of the injured Tony de Zorzi, recovering from a hamstring injury picked up against India, remains one of the most discussed topics. Although he has not played for a month, selectors believe that his technique suits subcontinent conditions.

"Tony is recovering well and should be ready when we play the West Indies," Moroney said. "He's likely to slot in at number three."

Another eye-catching selection is that of Jason Smith. With just five international caps, Smith has served as an extremely effective finisher in domestic and franchise cricket. This includes an incendiary unbeaten 68 off 19 balls in the CSA T20 Challenge and a 14-ball 41 in the SA20. He further bolsters flexibility by adding the ability to bowl seam. Bowling duties are set to resume later this month.

"Jason gives us incredible versatility," Moroney said. "He can bat almost anywhere and even operate in the powerplay, which gives the coaching staff tactical freedom.

Squad Balance and Coaching Setup
In the spin department, South Africa have gone for the left-handed Keshav Maharaj and George Linde, as Markram and Ferreira offer them offspin bowling. Shamsi's future in the international team looks clouded after his non-selection in the central contracts list.

The event will be the first white-ball World Cup under the new head coach, Shukri Conrad, and his support staff, consisting of Ashwell Prince and Piet Botha. Ex-Protea all-rounder Albie Morkel is the new recruit to the setup as the specialist T20 consultant.

Road to the World Cup

All squad members will remain featuring in the SA20 until the three-match T20I series involving West Indies. The Proteas will open their World Cup campaign against Canada on February 9. Afghanistan, New Zealand, and the UAE are other teams in the same group as the Proteas.

South Africa Squad – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje,