Ntozakhe, de Klerk called up to SA's Quadrangular squad

Allrounders Raisibe Ntozakhe and Nadine de Klerk have been rewarded for their consistent performances by earning their maiden call-ups to South Africa's 15-member ODI squad for the Quadrangular tournament from May 7 to 21. The tournament, also featuring India, Zimbabwe and Ireland, will be the last set of international matches for the teams before the Women's World Cup in England starting in July.

The captain Dane van Niekerk said she was excited by the new additions to South Africa's squad. "It's good to see youngsters putting their hands up and getting recognized for consistently good work," she said. "We can't wait to welcome Raisibe and Nadine into the fold."

Yolani Fourie, Lara Goodall and Marcia Letsoalo were the three players dropped from the squad that travelled to Sri Lanka for the World Cup qualifiers in February.

Opener Andrie Steyn and right-arm pacer Masabata Klaas returned to the ODI squad. Steyn last played an ODI against Bangladesh in January while Klaas' last international match was in November 2016.

Coach Hilton Moreeng said the tournament offered every player a chance to make a mark before the squad for the World Cup was announced and that playing good teams would allow the team to fix its little problems.

"We're really looking forward to the next few weeks in Potchefstroom against good opposition. We'll be using this series as our last chance at ironing out any last-minute creases that we might spot ahead of the World Cup," Moreeng said. "We've yet to announce the squad that will go to England so the players have this one last chance to impress the selectors and secure their places.

The squad will gather for a pre-tournament camp in Potchefstroom on May 1, where the tournament begins six days later.