Maharaj back in South Africa's T20I squad for England tour

Keshav Maharaj has been recalled to South Africa's T20I squad for their England tour after being left out of their last two shortest-format squads. The left-arm spinner, who is ranked No.1 in ODIs, missed out on the T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe and the T20Is in Australia as South Africa looked to broaden their spin base, but he has stormed back into contention and been included alongside Senuran Muthusamy for the next month's series against England.

Seamer Lizaad Williams and left-arm speedster Marco Jansen both return to the T20I squad after extended periods out of action with injury. Jansen underwent thumb surgery after being injured in the World Test Championship final in June and has not played since then, while Williams has not played since October 2024 after undergoing knee surgery.

David Miller is back in South Africa's playing group after he was given permission to miss the Australia matches due to his franchise commitments. Miller is currently playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred. Allrounder Donovan Ferreira is also at that competition, representing Oval Invincibles, and will join up with South Africa's T20I squad at the conclusion of that tournament.

That left no room for veteran batter Rassie van der Dussen, left-arm spinner George Linde and legspinner Nqaba Peter from the Australia T20I series. Offspinner Prenelan Subrayen, who was reported for a suspect bowling action and will undergo testing in Brisbane next week, has also been left out.

"We were experimenting with the spin-bowling allrounders in our most recent T20I series, and Keshav was always part of our broader plans," coach Shukri Conrad said in a statement. "His return to the squad strengthens our spin options. Beyond his obvious skill with the ball, he brings calmness and leadership to the group."

South Africa will play three T20Is in England as they continue preparation for next year's World Cup but only after a three-match ODI series, where they have stuck to the same playing group that won in Australia. Left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka, who was due to return home to play in an A series against New Zealand, has been retained in the ODI squad as cover for Kagiso Rabada, who has an ankle injury. Rabada will be assessed in England and is expected to be available for the T20Is.

"We are hopeful that he will be available for part of the ODI series," Conrad said. "But we are prioritising T20I cricket and will take a conservative approach. We won't rush him back."

Conrad also confirmed that team management "will continue to manage [ODI captain] Temba Bavuma's workload in the same way we did in the ongoing series against Australia". Bavuma, who is coming back from a hamstring injury sustained at the WTC final, played the first ODI in Australia this week and scored his eighth half-century in the format but was rested from the second match. He is scheduled to play in Sunday's game, with the series already won 2-0.

This is the first set of squads that have been picked under new selection convener Patrick Moroney, who began work on August 1. Prior to Moroney's appointment, the selection of the national team was the sole responsibility of the head coach. Moroney does not lead a panel but works with Conrad and has been keeping an eye on players and performances in the last few months.

"The recent tours to Zimbabwe and Australia have been invaluable, allowing us to test different match-ups and give players a platform to perform," Moroney said. "We saw some exciting young talent step up in Australia, proving their capabilities under pressure and with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, we now have a strong base of players to choose from. Our ODI approach will be similar to what we did in Australia, where we maintained consistency within the group to give them the best possible chance to win the series."

South Africa travel to England from Australia on August 25, with the first ODI to be played in Leeds on September 2.

Temba Bavuma (capt), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs

Aiden Markram (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams