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South Africa have named their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka and as usual when it comes to selections there are some big surprises – both in terms of who has been included and perhaps more specifically in terms of who has been excluded.
It is a tough job when you have only 15 spaces available to fill and a host of players who feel they have done enough to merit inclusion in the team.
Who are the stars who will feel most aggrieved at missing out? Let’s take a quick look.
1. Ryan Rickelton
The MICT man has had plenty of chance to establish himself in the Proteas T20 side, but he hasn’t quite delivered as expected. While he performs consistent in SA20, his results in the IPL and in national colours have been good, but not great.
He would almost certainly have made the squad had it not been for the return of Quinton de Kock from retirement. De Kock and Rickelton are essentially the same player. Aggressive, left-handed, wicketkeeping opening batsmen.
Sadly, for Rickelton, De Kock is a proven performer who trumps him in most departments. QdK is a better keeper, and he has a better track record for South Africa. QdK is also in excellent form.
Shukri Conrad was loyal to Rickelton once De Kock came back but runs and results have spoken and as disappointed as Rickelton will be, he would have to admit that right now, De Kock merits his selection at the top of the order.
2. Reeza Hendricks
Always the nearly-man, veteran batter Hendricks misses out on another World Cup. A versatile performer who can open or come in at three, Reeza would always likely have been an understudy for Aiden Markram.
But the selectors have opted to look to the future and have instead picked Tony De Zorzi. De Zorzi was perhaps something of a surprise selection given his relative inexperience in the format – he has played just two T20Is for South Africa with a highest score of 33.
While some may suggest that De Zorzi scores too slowly for T20 cricket, his strike rate for the Proteas is 153.84.
At 28 years old, De Zorzi has a few World Cups in him yet and while Reeza will undoubtedly feel aggrieved to have missed out, it is hard to blame the selectors for balancing immediate needs with an eye on the future.
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3. Tristan Stubbs
Quite possibly the biggest surprise omission, Stubbs has been a solid for South Africa over the last year, and he appeared to be returning to his best form after a wobbly spell.
The SEC skipper bats in the awkward number five spot where it is often not possible to play big innings, but even so, he has passed 50 just twice in his 36 innings for the Proteas with his runs coming at a modest 132.15 strike rate.
In a season that has seen the emergence of Dewald Brevis as a serious power-hitting middle-order batsman, Stubbs has found his position under threat.
Given that Brevis recorded the highest ever score for South Africa in a T20I in 2025 and that David Miller is back to fitness, suddenly space for Stubbs in the 15-man squad became tight.
4. Ottneil Baartman
Baartman is a very good bowler, and he is a man well suited to conditions in India and Sri Lanka – he is very unlucky to miss out. If anything, his biggest ‘weakness’ is the fact that he is not lightning fast.
Players like Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka and Anrich Nortje are genuinely quick, which for some reason always impresses those in charge.
And make no mistake they are all good bowlers, but Baartman would have offered something else – he is naggingly accurate, he has useful variations and he has a very good track record for South Africa with 22 wickets from 17 innings at an average of 21,59 and a strike rate of 15,7.
Maphaka is one for the future, and as Shukri Conrad points out, he has X-factor, but how much game time is he likely to get with Rabada and Nortje ahead of him. Baartman would have offered something different, and The Proteas may well come to rue leaving him behind.
5. Lhuan-dre Pretorius
He came to prominence during SA20 2025 where he ended as the season’s top scorer. Since then, he has made his international debut in all three formats of the game, but overall, his performances have underwhelmed.
Yes, he scored big runs against Zimbabwe, but a measure of greatness is not how you go against the minnows, but how you go against the best, and he didn’t do much on tour in either Australia or England.
With an average of just 13.08 from his 12 games for the Proteas, Pretorius will need some time, and some runs domestically before he gets a look in again.
Much like Rickelton, his situation is also complicated by the fact that he too is a left-handed opener who can also keep – making him another Quinton De Kock type player.
6. Matthew Breetzke
If South Africa were going to throw a surprise name into the selection mix many people would have suggested that Breetzke would be that man. He has shone in ODI cricket since making his debut at the start of 2025.
He averages 64.18 in the 50-over game. His performances in T20Is have been less impressive, and despite a high score of 51 he still averages just 13.16 from his 13 innings.
Jason Smith is the man who has got into the squad ahead of him, and who is quite possibly the biggest surprise pick in the team. Smith has played just two T20Is, but he does average 37.00 (a number aided by one not out from two innings).
He has a solid reputation but is somewhat unproven at the highest level. If Breetzke was going to be selected it would have been in Smith’s spot – that must have been a heavily debated choice for the selectors.
7. Wiaan Mulder
An excellent all-rounder who in some ways has the look of Jacques Kallis about him, Mulder has played 11 T20Is for South Africa, averaging 17.50 with the bat and 24.37 with the ball. Those are good numbers.
Mulder’s biggest problem is probably the fact that he is not as explosive as his direct competitor for a place in the squad, Corbin Bosch. Little more than a year ago, Bosch was nothing more than an afterthought in most selection discussions.
But having been given a chance, he has taken it with both hands, and he has delivered across all formats. Without a doubt Marco Jansen is the number one all-rounder and he will be a key player for South Africa at the World Cup, but Bosch will be important as well.
While from a technique perspective Mulder is regarded as a better batter, ask most people who they would prefer at the crease if there were six runs needed to win off the last ball, and they would almost certainly pick Bosch over Mulder.
That said, Bosch has also shown himself to be an outstanding death bowler.
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The post The 7 shock exclusions from South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad appeared first on Cricket365.
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