Pak vs SA: Henrich Klaasen to lead Proteas in T20I series

Heinrich Klaasen will be leading Proteas' T20 squad in the three-match series against Pakistan in Lahore from February 11-14, 2021, confirmed Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday.

Heinrich Klaasen will be leading Proteas' T20 squad in the three-match series against Pakistan in Lahore from February 11-14, 2021, confirmed Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday. Klaasen will be leading the national team for the first time. The strategy forms part of the measures put in place by CSA to ensure that the Test squad, captained by Quinton de Kock, can return to South Africa and satisfy the overseas travel COVID-19 quarantine protocol ahead of that team's three-match Test Series against Australia.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled sporting bodies to find innovative ways of ensuring tours and sporting events take place as planned or with as little disruption to revised plans as possible. We are not exempt from that and have had to do a bit of outside-of-the-box thinking to ensure that we are fully prepared for a home Test tour against Australia, while having an exciting T20 series to compete in, in Pakistan," CSA Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith said in an official release. "We're in the final stages of concluding plans for how the coaching and support staff will also be managed for the two tours. We will share those details when they have been finalised. It's an example of the measures that some cricket nations will have to put in place to ensure that they can squeeze more than one tour in a period of three or four months while fulfilling COVID-19 protocol obligations," he added.

The T20 squad boasts several new faces as the Proteas continue to rebuild after the losses of numerous players to retirement in recent times. There does not seem to be a better time for the National Selection Panel to look at new options than now, with the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup taking place in India this September. Okuhle Cele, Ryan Rickleton, and Jacques Snyman receive their maiden national team call-ups, while Glenton Stuurman will return to the national team after a left quadriceps muscle strain saw him released from the Test squad ahead of the start of the second match against Sri Lanka and Johannesburg.

Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, and George Linde from the Test squad have also been included for the T20 fixtures. They, along with Andile Phehlukwayo, Reeza Hendricks, and Jon-Jon Smuts, will offer the required experience that the predominantly youthful squad will require to excel in Lahore. Proteas T20 Squad to Pakistan is as follows: Heinrich Klaasen (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (Six-Gun Grill Cape Cobras), Okuhle Cele (Momentum Multiply Titans), Junior Dala (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (Imperial Lions), Reeza Hendricks (Imperial Lions), George Linde (Six-Gun Grill Cape Cobras), Janneman Malan (Six-Gun Grill Cape Cobras), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Andile Phehlukwayo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Dwaine Pretorius (Imperial Lions), Ryan Rickleton (Imperial Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Lutho Sipamla (Imperial Lions), Jon-Jon Smuts (Warriors), Pite van Biljon (VKB Knights), Glenton Stuurman (Warriors), Jacques Snyman (VKB Knights). (ANI)

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