Proteas: Keegan Petersen named as replacement for injured Markram

Promising Knights batsman Keegan Petersen has been named as the replacement for injured Aiden Markram in the Proteas Test squad.

Markram was ruled out after suffering an injury to his finger during the first Test against England at Supersport Park.

Petersen comes in off the back of a century scored for South Africa A against the tourists in Benoni and an impressive start to the domestic campaign.

Originally from the Boland Petersen plays his cricket for the Northern Cape and the Knights and has amassed over 5000 first-class runs in 88 matches to date including 15 hundreds.

Petersen is most at home in the middle-order which means that Pieter Malan remains favourite to open the batting alongside Dean Elgar in the second Test at Newlands.

Rewarding excellence

“VKB Knights batsman, Keegan Petersen has been named the replacement for injured Aiden Markram ahead of the Test match against England in Cape Town,” a Cricket South Africa press release read.

“In CSA’s bid to reward excellence, Petersen has been called up to the Standard Bank Proteas team after consistently good performances in the CSA Domestic Franchise Four-Day series over an extended period of time. He capped off his fruitful season with an impressive 111 (240 balls, 12x4s) for the South Africa A team against England in a friendly tour match building up to the Test series.”

Markram will undergo surgery to correct the injury to his finger and his recovery and rehabilitation will see him miss the rest of the Test series at least.

“Markram will go under the knife early this week after sustaining a fracture to his fourth left finger on Day Two of the current match taking place in Centurion,” the statement went on.

Batsman Temba Bavuma missed the first Test with injury but could also be fit to play in the New Year’s Test starting 3 January.

Proteas Test squad

Standard Bank Proteas Test squad: Faf du Plessis (Momentum Multiply Titans, capt), Temba Bavuma (Imperial Lions), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dean Elgar (Momentum Multiply Titans), Beuran Hendricks (Imperial Lions), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Pieter Malan (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Keegan Petersen (VKB Knights), Zubayr Hamza (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Dane Paterson (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Andile Phehlukwayo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Vernon Philander (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Dwaine Pretorius (Imperial Lions), Kagiso Rabada (Imperial Lions), Rudi Second (Warriors), Rassie van der Dussen (Imperial Lions).