JOHANNESBURG: Former captain Faf du Plessis had a notable omission from the South African squad named on Thursday for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka next month, the team’s final match before the Twenty20 World Cup.
Du Plessis, 37, retired from Test cricket in February but said he is available for South Africa in white-ball cricket. He has not played for the country in any format since then.
The T20 World Cup is to be held in the United Arab Emirates in October and November.
“The next two years are the years of the ICC T20 World Cup,” du Plessis said in a statement when he announced his retirement.
“Because of this, my focus is going to be on this format and I want to play it as much around the world as possible so that I can be the best player that I can be.”
The Sri Lanka series will end on September 14 in the UAE, five days ahead of the scheduled resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which du Plessis is expected to play for Chennai Super Kings.
Du Plessis was in good form in May before the 2021 IPL was halted due to Kovid-19, scoring 320 runs in seven innings at an average of 64.
His last appearance for his country was in three T20 Internationals against England in December, in which he scored only two of the three half-centuries hit by South Africa in those matches.
South Africa have played 15 T20 Internationals since then, most recently in Ireland.
South African selectors’ coordinator Victor Mpitsang said there had been “talks” with du Plessis.
“He was available for the Sri Lanka tour, but the selectors felt that the group of players representing South Africa in the recent series would benefit more in giving the experience of sub-continental conditions.”
Mpisang said du Plessis would be considered for World Cup selection.
South Africa will play three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals in Sri Lanka, with all matches in Colombo. The first ODI match is on 2 September.
South Africa team
ODI: Temba Bavuma (Captain), Junior Dala, Beuran Hendrix, Reeza Hendrix, Henrik Klaasen, George Linde, Janman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Viaan Mulder, Enrique Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwayne Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada. Shamsi, Rassi van der Dussen, Kyle Verne, Lizad Williams
Twenty20: Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, B. Hendricks, R. Hendricks, Klaasen, Linde, Maharaj, Sisanda Magala, Markram, David Miller, Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nortje, Pretorius, Rabada, Shamsi, Van der Dussen, Williams
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