Former South Africa batting all-rounder Farhan Behardien is hoping that the new COVID-19 variant, which is causing alarm here, will not jeopardise India's tour of the country next month as young cricketers of his nation need the series "more than ever".
South Africa's Farhaan Behardien reckons that the batsmen will have to be smart with shot-selection
For the Proteas, the emphasis is on all 15 players instead of 11.
South Africa will be without limited-overs stalwarts Hashim Amla and JP Duminy for their white-ball tour of Australia next month but welcome back all-rounder Chris Morris from injury.
AB de Villiers Opening the batting is an experiment for the World Twenty20, says Farhaan Behardien.
A blazing half-century from opener Martin Guptill helped New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs in Centurion on Sunday to draw the two-match Twenty20 international series 1-1.
All-rounder Andre Russell smashed a match-winning half-century as West Indies claimed a nail-biting one-wicket victory over South Africa in the fourth one-day international at St George's Park on Sunday.
JP Duminy will captain a South Africa Twenty20 squad with three new caps to take on India in three matches later this month, Cricket South Africa announced on Tuesday.
Paceman Kagiso Rabada led a brilliant South Africa bowling display that lifted the Proteas to a 47-run win over Australia in the triangular one-day international series in Guyana on Tuesday. After winning the toss and making 189 for nine off their 50 overs, South Africa's bowlers had a field day on a low, slow turning pitch at Providence Stadium in Georgetown as Australia crumbled to be all out for 142 off 34.2 overs. Australia made heavy weather of the run-chase right from the start, with the quick departure of dynamic opener David Warner (1), beaten by the pace of Wayne Parnell and trapped leg before. South Africa were rewarded for playing three specialist spinners but it was 21-year-old Rabada who led the way, using his genuine pace to claim 3 for 13 from seven overs.
A buoyant India will look to cash in on South Africa's injury woes, compounded by the loss of captain Faf du Plessis, when the two sides meet in the second One-Day International in Centurion on Sunday.
An explosive unbeaten 85 from David Miller and some hostile bowling by the fast bowlers helped South Africa to beat Sri Lanka by 56 runs in Pallekele on Friday and stay alive in the five-match series.
South Africa's talismanic captain AB de Villiers has recovered from injury and been included in the Proteas squad for the One-day series at home against Australia starting later this month.
IMAGES from the 1st T20I played between India and South Africa at the Wanderers on Sunday
South Africa's bowlers backed up a solid batting performance led by captain AB de Villiers' 99 to ensure they qualified for the knockout phase of the World Cup with a 146-run victory over United Arab Emirates.
Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara held their nerve in the death overs with miserly fast bowling as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by five runs in their World Twenty20 opener at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
It is another injury blow for the Proteas, who have already lost AB de Villiers due to a finger injury for the first three matches of the 50-over series against India.
J P Duminy and Heinrich Klassen hit superb half-centuries to steer South Africa to a six-wicket victory over India in the second Twenty20 International, in Centurion, on Wednesday night.
Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers have been recalled to South Africa's One-day international side for the visit of New Zealand later this month, but young wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been axed after a poor run of form in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh thrashed South Africa by seven wickets in the second one-day international on Sunday to tie the three-match series at 1-1 after an inspired bowling performance saw the Proteas bundled out for 162, their lowest total against the hosts.
The third and series-deciding match will be played in Cape Town on Saturday.
Captain AB de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 101 in his 200th One-Day International to lead South Africa to a five-wicket victory over England and a 3-2 series win at Newlands on Sunday.
A century from Hashim Amla laid the foundation for home success on Wednesday as South Africa beat New Zealand by 20 runs to win their opening one-day international at Centurion.
Evin Lewis (70) and Darren Bravo (63) hit blistering fifties as Trinidad and Tobago registered a six-run victory over Titans via the Duckworth/Lewis method, in a rain-hit Champions League T20 match at the at the Sardar Patel stadium, in Ahmedabad, on Monday. The victory put the Caribbean side in strong contention for a berth in the semi-finals.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni rued the lack of consistency by his bowlers after India were beaten by South Africa by seven wickets in the first Twenty International on Friday, saying his team could have executed their game plans better.
The visitors won the first two matches of the series in Durban and Centurion by six and nine wickets, respectively, dismantling the home side with consummate ease.
The paceman had injury problems in the recent ICC Champions Trophy in England, forcing him to miss the semi-final defeat by the hosts, and that has weighed heavily on the minds of the selectors with Test series coming up against Pakistan, India and Australia.
South Africa have included the world's number one test bowler Vernon Philander in their preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 tournament to be played in Bangladesh in March and April next year.
The Mumbai batsman hit a splendid innings of 140 not out from 131 balls, as he anchored the chase alongside Tamil Nadu captain Vijay Shankar (72) to guide India 'A' to victory in 46.5 overs
Mayank Agarwal hammered a 49-ball 87 as India 'A' beat the touring South Africans in their opening warm-up T20 game by eight wickets, with two balls to spare, at the Air Force ground, in Palam, Delhi, on Tuesday.
The Proteas bowlers took part in a thorough session under the watchful eyes of Langeveldt with the aim of increasing their workloads and mapping out expectations and game plans ahead of the 72-day tour which starts with the first Twenty20 match in Dharamsala on October 2.
Darren Bravo scored an enterprising century as West Indies rallied from a poor start to reach the final of the triangular one-day international series with a commanding 100-run victory over South Africa in Barbados on Friday.
JP Duminy has been named in the South African Twenty20 squad for the three-match home series against West Indies next month, but a number of other top players will again be rested.
Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan took four wickets on his debut in a three-wicket victory over new-look South Africa that levelled the three-match Twenty20 series on Sunday.
Jonny Bairstow struck a sublime unbeaten 60 to lead England to a dominant nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the first Twenty20 international in Southampton on Wednesday.
They endured a disastrous run the last time around to finish at the bottom of the heap and Kings XI Punjab would be aiming to make amends this season when they begin their campaign against newbies Gujarat Lions in their IPL opener in Mohali on Monday. Kings XI Punjab did not make any big buys this year and have a new captain in South African David Miller in place of Australian George Bailey who was released after leading the side to the last place in the previous season. Virender Sehwag has also retired and he will serve as team mentor this season. The Preity Zinta-owned side continues to lack the team balance as it has not added any significant player, only snapping the likes of all-rounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis, seamer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. Last season, their batsmen lacked consistency and whenever they did well, the bowlers let the side down. On the other hand, debutants Gujarat Lions have a balanced side with top-class performers in both batting and bowling. They have explosive batsmen in Brendon McCullum, captain Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch and a plenty of top-notch all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and James Faulkner.
South Africa have recalled fit-again batsman AB de Villiers to captain their one-day international side in the five-match home series against Sri Lanka.
Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar appealed for more maturity from cricket fans, saying the unruly crowd behaviour during the Twenty20 match between India and South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack was not good for the sport.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers blamed his batting unit for their 22-run defeat to India in the second cricket One-Dayer in Indore on Wednesday, on the placid wicket at Holkar Stadium.
Morne Morkel makes a return to the limited-overs format after nearly 10 months, adding experience to the pace bowling group featuring Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell, Chris Morris, Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo.
Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his 17th One-day international century and shared a second wicket stand of 184 with Kumar Sangakkara to guide Sri Lanka to a series clinching eight wicket win over South Africa in the fourth match at Pallekele on Sunday.
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