Cricket:Uncapped De Bruyn In South African Squad

JOHANNESBURG, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2016 ) - Uncapped batsman Theunis de Bruyn was on Wednesday named in a 13-man South African squad for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka, starting later this month.

Faf du Plessis, who was confirmed as South Africa's long-term captain on Monday, will lead the team. The first Test will be in Port Elizabeth, starting on December 26, and the second in Cape Town, starting on January 2.

It will be the first series between the two countries played in South Africa since 2011/12. South Africa have won eight of 10 previous home Tests against Sri Lanka, with one defeat and one drawn match.

De Bruyn, 24, who has been picked as a back-up batsman, and all-rounder Wayne Parnell are the only members of the squad who did not play in the series in Australia which South Africa won 2-1 last month.

Missing from the squad that went to Australia are fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and batsman Rilee Rossouw, all because of injury, while left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and two back-up players, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius and wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, were not picked.

AB de Villiers, who announced on Monday that he had stepped down as Test captain in favour of Du Plessis, was also not considered as he has not fully recovered from an elbow injury. Parnell, who has not played in a Test match since the 2013/14 season, missed the Australian tour because of injury.

Sri Lanka, whose players arrived in South Africa on Sunday, will play their only warm-up game before the Tests when they play in a three-day match against a South African Invitation XI in Potchefstroom from Sunday to Tuesday.

South African squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wkt), JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.