Klaasen, Mulder named in squad for Australia Tests

Klaasen, Mulder named in squad for Australia Tests

Heinrich Klaasen has impressed in limited-overs matches for South Africa. © BCCI

Heinrich Klaasen was rewarded for his strong performances in limited-overs for South Africa with a maiden call-up to the Test squad for the home series against Australia, Cricket South Africa announced on Saturday (February 24).

Apart from the wicketkeeper-batsman, Wiaan Mulder, the allrounder, is the other uncapped player in the squad. The duo replaces Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris from the squad that faced India.

Both of them have excelled in the domestic first-class tournament. Klaasen raked up 292 runs from six innings, including two hundreds, before being called up for international duty in coloured clothing. Mulder has scored 370 runs this season from nine innings and has also picked up 15 wickets from 11 innings with his right-arm seam bowling.

Called in as a replacement for the injured Quinton de Kock in the ODIs, Klaasen scored 110 runs from four innings at 36.66 against India. In the two Twenty20 Internationals so far, he has scored 85, including a match-winning 69 in the second game.

“Klaasen has been tremendously impressive in the white-ball matches he has played for the Proteas and we firmly believe he can become just as good a player in the five-day format,” said Linda Zondi, National Selection Panel Convener. “He has averaged nearly 50 with the bat in Sunfoil four-day cricket this season and hit two centuries. We are also keen to have a backup wicketkeeper to De Kock in the squad.

“The selection of Mulder continues our strategy to expand our pool of all-rounders against top quality opposition. He is a batting all-rounder and his selection will depend on how we decide to balance our starting XI. He has been the top all-rounder in the Sunfoil Series with a batting average of 60 (one century) and 15 wickets at an average of 28,” he added. “It has been very exciting this season to see the way young players have settled into the various Proteas squads and done well and this is a continuation of that policy.”

If either of the two players makes their debut, they will be the 100th player to represent South Africa since their readmission to international cricket post-apartheid in 1992. Overall, 334 players have represented the country so far since they played Test cricket first in 1889.

AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, all of whom have been grappling with niggles and minor injuries, have been deemed fit to make it to the Test squad.

The first Test between the sides will be played starting March 1 in Durban.

South Africa Test squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungisani Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.