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PROTEAS batsman Zubayr Hamza will lead South Africa “A” side, which will tour Zimbabwe for four one-day matches and two four-day matches in Harare from May 29 to June 16.
This will be the “A” team’s first tour since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, which rendered the tours in 2020 cancelled or rescheduled.
All matches in Harare will be played behind closed doors and within a bio-secure environment.
Cricket South Africa’s convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang stated that the Zimbabwe tour will act as match preparation for the Proteas T20 series against West Indies, which gets underway from June 26.
“We are pleased to have our ‘A’ team playing again. This is vital for the growth of our next tier of players who have been starved of international experience of late,” said Mpitsang.
“Covid-19 saw a couple of planned tours cancelled last season, so we are grateful to Zimbabwe Cricket for inviting us over for what we know will be a tightly contested few weeks of cricket.
“The one-day series in particular will act as match preparation for our Proteas who will be taking part in the white-ball leg of the tour to the West Indies.
“Red ball cricket is a format that CSA holds in high esteem and wishes to protect at all costs, so it’s of great importance for us to ensure that we have a strong base from which the national selection panel can select when the national team needs an injection of new blood.”
The SA “A” tour will kick off with the one-day series, which will see Proteas regulars such as Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks feature ahead of the national team’s tour to West Indies.
The four-day team features four-day Franchise Series stars such as Dominic Hendricks, Raynard van Tonder and Sinethemba Qeshile.
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