Duanne Olivier celebrates a wicket against Pakistan during the 2018/19 season. Photo: Chrsitiaan Kotze/BackpagePix
BREAKING: Olivier earns sensational Proteas recall
Fiery fast bowler Duanne Olivier has been recalled to the Proteas team for the highly-anticipated series against India.
Duanne Olivier celebrates a wicket against Pakistan during the 2018/19 season. Photo: Chrsitiaan Kotze/BackpagePix
On Tuesday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a 21-man Proteas Test squad that will take on India in three Test matches from 26 December to 15 January 2022, which includes a notable recall for Duanne Olivier.
READ | HOW PROTEAS-INDIA SERIES WAS SAVED, AND WHERE MATCHES MAY BE PLAYED
The series will form part of the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship and will be hosted in three venues: SuperSport Park, Imperial Wanderers and Six Gun Grill Newlands respectively.
The National Selection Panel has gone with the same core group that successfully toured the West Indies in June of this year and have included three others.
Proteas fans will be pleased to see the return to action of household names such as Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje as well as the reintroduction of seamer, Duanne Olivier, who has returned to the South African domestic set-up following a prolonged stint in the United Kingdom.
Olivier’s last Test appearance for South Africa was in Gqeberha against Sri Lanka in February of 2019. The 29-year-old has made an impressive return to the CSA Four-Day Series, ending this year as the leading wicket taker, eight scalps clear of number two, Simon Harmer. Olivier has claim to 28 wickets in eight innings at an average of 11.14 and best innings bowling figures of 5/53.
Glenton Stuurman and Prenelan Subrayen have also received nods back into the team and Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton will be pleased to receive their maiden Test team call-ups.
Olivier added to South Africa’s Test squad
Dean Elgar (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain, Imperial Lions), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper, Momentum Multiply Titans), Kagiso Rabada (Imperial Lions), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Beuran Hendricks (Six Gun Grill Western Province), George Linde (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), Wiaan Mulder (Imperial Lions), Anrich Nortje (Gbets Warriors), Keegan Petersen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Rassie van der Dussen (Imperial Lions), Kyle Verreynne (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Marco Jansen (Gbets Warriors), Glenton Stuurman (Gbets Warriors), Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sisanda Magala (Imperial Lions), Ryan Rickelton (Imperial Lions), Duanne Olivier (Imperial Lions).
CSA Convenor of Selectors, Victor Mpitsang said:
“We as the Selectors are excited for the return of Test cricket. This format is very important to CSA and keeping it relevant and alive is one of the organisation’s priorities.
“We are really looking forward to the return of Dean Elgar and his men, it’s been a long few months since the last time we saw them dominate in the West Indies. We are confident in the team that we have selected and believe fully in backing the talent that we have unearthed and cultivated over the last couple of seasons and giving players the backing that they deserve when they have continuously done well over a significant period of time.
“This Test series is also important in terms of getting some points in the Test Championship table and we are confident that this group will pick up from where they left off and give us a good show on home soil.
“On behalf of the Selectors, I would like to wish Dean (Elgar), Mark Boucher and the team all of the best for the next few weeks of what I’m certain will be really entertaining cricket.”
Betway Test Series Schedule
26-30 December 21 | 1st Betway WTC Test vs India | SuperSport Park, Centurion
03-07 January 22 | 2nd Betway WTC Test vs India | Imperial Wanderers, Johannesburg
11-15 January 22 | 3rd Betway WTC Test vs India | Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town
