Western Province’s Ashwell Prince has been named captain to lead the South African A team to Zimbabwe in August.
The tour is in keeping with the United Cricket Board of South Africa’s (UCB) undertaking to assist in further developing cricket in that country.
This undertaking was given to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union by UCB president Ray Mali at an extraordinary meeting of members of the International Cricket Council in Dubai last month.
The tour is also vital to South African cricket in preparing those players on the verge of selection to the national squad for what is going to be a critical season.
The South African A team will play two four-day matches, followed by four one-day matches. All the games will take place in Bulawayo.
The team will be coached by Ray Jennings whose appointment is only for the tours of Zimbabwe next month and for an incoming New Zealand A in September.
”I trust Ray will be able to blend this mixture of youth and experience to gel together,” said UCB CEO Gerald Majola. ”He comes on board after tremendous successes with Easterns and hopefully those successes will be transformed to the A side, which is obviously a feeder to the senior national team.”
Convener of selectors Omar Henry said that this is a very good squad with every player vying for a place in the national team.
”And under Ray, they are in good hands,” he added.
Jennings was naturally over the moon with his appointment.
”I feel very excited and I look forward to the opportunity given,” he said. ”I hope to make a difference at national level.” — Sapa
The squad for the four-day matches:
Ashwell Prince (captain), Nashua Western Province/Boland
Paul Adams, Nashua Western Province/Boland
Hashim Amla, Nashua Dolphins
Loots Bosman, Goodyear Eagles
Zander de Bruyn, Nashua Titans
AB de Villiers, Nashua Titans
Garnett Kruger, Highveld Lions
Charl Langeveldt, Mercedes-Benz Eastern Cape Cricket
Neil McKenzie, Highveld Lions
Albie Morkel, Nashua Titans
Alfonso Thomas, Nashua Titans
Thami Tsolekile, (W/K) Nashua Western Province/Boland
Charl Willoughby, Nashua Western Province/Boland
Amla, De Villiers, De Bruyn, Thomas and Willoughby will return home after the four-day matches and will be replaced by:
HD Ackerman, Highveld Lions
Boeta Dippenaar, Goodyear Eagles
Justin Kemp, Nashua Titans
Roger Telemachus, Goodyear Eagles
Morne van Wyk, Goodyear Eagles
The itinerary against Zimbabwe is:
August
12 to 15: Four-day match
19 to 22: Four-day match
24: One-day match
26: One-day match
28: One-day match
29: One-day match