Cricket

Six new caps as Behardien heads T20 squad

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Farhaan Behardien of South Africa during the 2015 Momentum ODI match between South Africa and West Indies at the Supersport Park, Centurion on the 28 January 2015 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Farhaan Behardien has been appointed captain of the Proteas for the first two matches in the T20 series against Sri Lanka.

Cricket South Africa have named a 13-man squad that includes six new caps in this format: Jon-Jon Smuts, Theunis de Bruyn, Mangaliso Mosehle, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson and Lungi Ngidi.

‘We have decided to rest some of our key senior players for this series,’ said CSA selection convener Linda Zondi.

‘This is the last chance we have to do this as the ODI series that follows is an important part of our build-up to the ICC Champions Trophy in England in the middle of the year.

‘Those senior players who are involved in the Indian Premier League will be playing non-stop from now until the end of August, with the tours coming up to New Zealand and England in addition to the ICC event.

‘Farhaan was one of the standout players in our franchise T20 Challenge, being the second leading run-scorer behind Jon-Jon Smuts and having the best strike-rate.

‘David Wiese was one of our original selections but he has informed us that he intends to take up a Kolpak contract and has therefore been withdrawn from the squad.

‘Both AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel are due to resume playing at domestic level later this month and could come into contention for the third T20I [at Newlands on 25 Jan].’

The first two T20s are at Centurion on 20 Jan and the Wanderers on 22 Jan.

Squad: Farhaan Behardien (captain), Theunis de Bruyn, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heino Kuhn, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Jon-Jon Smuts.