Mitchell van Buuren to lead SA Emerging squad for series against Zimbabwe

By SABC Sport
11th August 2023

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced a 15-player South Africa Emerging Men's squad for a five-match 50-over series against Zimbabwe starts in Tshwane from Sunday.

Lions batter Mitchell van Buuren will captain the side under the guidance of National Academy lead and SA U19s head coach Malibongwe Maketa.

The squad features several players that have done excellently over the past 12 months, amongst them being CSA Domestic Newcomer of the Year, Warriors batter Jordan Hermann.

The 21-year-old hit 297 runs at an average of 49.50 during last season's domestic One-Day Cup campaign, including a top score of 150 against Paarl Rocks. His form also earned him a spot on the SA A tour of Sri Lanka in June.

Former SA U19 captain George van Heerden and his then teammates Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Michael Copeland and Valentine Kitime have also been named in the squad.

"We have a well-balance squad that has worked hard for the past three months at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria," said Maketa.

"They're looking forward to the series as it's almost like a nice reward to put into practice what we have been working on for the past three months.

"The whole aim of the National Academy is to prepare these players to get ready for the next level and this series will provide the opportunity to come up against international opposition and really put their skills to the test.

"As coaches, we're looking forward to having the guys play in different situations and roles, and ultimately see how they respond to playing under pressure."

Commenting on the preparation, Maketa added: "The players have also had the opportunity to work with national coaches in the build-up to this series, including sessions with Test head coach Shukri Conrad and bowling coach Piet Botha, as well as Proteas white-ball fielding coach Wandile Gwavu."

All five matches will be played at the Groenkloof Oval, with the first encounter set to get underway on Sunday.

South Africa Emerging squad: Mitchell van Buuren (Lions, captain), Liam Alder (Warriors), Matthew Boast (Titans), Okuhle Cele (Dolphins), Michael Copeland (Rocks), Jordan Hermann (Warriors), Valentine Kitime (Western Province), Andile Mogakane (Warriors), Peter Nqaba (Lions), Siya Plaatjie (Warriors), Joshua Richards (Lions), Daniel Smith (Western Province), Musa Twala (Titans), George van Heerden (Warriors), and Nealan van Heerden (Warriors)