Just three weeks out from the fifth edition of Varsity Cricket, Cricket South Africa have named multiple graduates of the tournament for national assignments.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) first confirmed a list of players and technical staff to travel to Bengaluru, India from 17-23 August for a spin bowling camp. Among the players are batsmen Aiden Markram, Zubayr Hamza, Janneman Malan and Edward Moore as well as left-arm leg-spinners Bjorn Fortuin and Thomas Kaber – all Varsity Cricket alumni.
MALAN, HAMZA TO BUILD ON FIRST TASTES?
Malan (22), in fact, played for NWU in the previous tournament in January 2018 before signing for the Cape Cobras and impressing so much that he made his debut for the Proteas T20 team against Pakistan in February.
That was only a few weeks after Hamza played in the Test team against the same opponents – notching up 41 in his first innings. Hashim Amla’s retirement has opened up a spot in the Proteas Test batting lineup and the 24-year-old – who played for UWC in the 2016 and 2017 Varsity Cricket tournaments – will be eager to settle into the sub-continental conditions before joining up with the Test team.
FIT-AGAIN NORTJE BACK IN THE MIX
As it happens, the retirement of another Proteas stalwart in Dale Steyn has opened up a gap for Anrich Nortje (Madibaz 2015-16) to earn his first Test call-up for the three-match series against India in October. After debuting in the One-Day International team, against Sri Lanka in March, Nortje was all set to go to the Cricket World Cup before a thumb injury ruled the 25-year-old out. Nortje has been named in the Test squad alongside, Markram, Hamza, Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen (The Tuks 2015 stepping in as an injury replacement for Rudi Second).
Malan, meanwhile, has missed out on selection for the three-match T20 International series in India but there are first time call-ups for Nortje (in this format) and Fortuin.
FORTUIN EARNS HIS BIG BREAK
Fortuin partly has another retirement, that of Imran Tahir, to thank for his call-up but more so the fact that he claimed both the CSA T20 Challenge Player of the Season and Domestic Players’ Player of the Season awards following a stellar 2018-19 season for Highveld Lions,
The challenge, now, will be on the 24-year-old to prove that he can also handle the step up from Varsity Cricket to domestic excellence and finally international success as the likes of Markram and Ngidi have proved is possible.
Varsity Cricket 2019 once again takes place in Potchefstroom, from 2-7 September, and tickets to all the matches are available now – click here: https://varsitysportsa.plankton.mobi/
by Carlo Jonkerman
