South Africa
Previous Apperances: 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015
Best Finish: Semifinals - 1999, 2007, 2015
Faf du Plessis (Captain)
Batsman | AGE: 34
Matches - 134 | Runs - 5120 | HS - 185 | Avg - 46.54 | 100s - 11 | 50s - 32
Faf du Plessis is the new flag-bearer of South Africa’s quest for a major trophy. Hansie Cronje, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers led the Proteas admirably at the multi-team tournaments, but none of the trio was able to take South Africa past the last-four stage of a World Cup or Champions Trophy. Skipper Du Plessis will go into the tournament on the back of confidence-boosting displays in home series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while his prowess against spin bowling makes him crucial to his team’s cause.
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Hashim Amla
Batsman | AGE: 36
Matches - 174 | Runs - 7910 | HS - 159 | Avg - 49.74 | 100s - 27| 50s - 37
Hashim Amla has been a consistent batsmen across the Test and ODI formats over the last decade, though his form has dipped in the last year and a half. His ability to read the conditions perfectly helped him score above 3000 ODI runs both home and away. In the lead-up to the World Cup, Amla was dropped for the first three ODIs of the five-match home series against Sri Lanka, casting doubts over his place in South Africa’s World Cup squad, with his replacement, Reeza Hendricks, giving a good account of himself. Amla, however, made the cut and will be a key player in the top-order in what could be his last World Cup.
Quinton de Kock
Wicketkeeper/ Batsman | AGE: 26
Matches - 106 | Runs - 4602 | Avg - 45.56 | HS - 178 | 50s - 21 | 100s - 14 | Catches - 149 | Stumpings - 8
In 2013, while he was still new at the international level, de Kock scored three consecutive ODI centuries against India in home conditions, putting him in an elite company of AB de Villiers, Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas, Ross Taylor and Herschelle Gibbs — the only batsmen to achieve the feat previously. Opening the batting for South Africa in ODI and T20 cricket, de Kock often helps his team stamp its authority on the opposition with explosive starts. His high-40s average is also evidence of his consistency as he continues to be an integral part of South Africa across formats.
Jean-Paul Duminy
All - rounder | AGE: 35
Matches - 194 | Runs - 5047 | HS - 150* | Avg - 37.38 | 100s - 4 | 50s - 27 | Wickets - 68 | Best - 4-16 | Eco - 5.34
JP Duminy made his ODI debut for South Africa in 2004 but his century (166) and an unbeaten half-century on his Test debut in Australia, when the Proteas successfully chased down 414, remains the highlight of his career. Duminy offers versatility with his off-spin, while he has tended to be a floater in what has often been a high-quality batting line-up. Duminy has not been as consistent with the bat as his talent suggests, but he remains a key member of the Faf du Plessis-led team.
Aiden Markram
Batsman | AGE: 24
Matches - 18 | Runs - 503 | Avg - 29.58 | HS - 67* | 100s - 0| 50s - 2
Aiden Markram was South Africa Under-19 World Cup-winning captain in 2014 and made his international debut in 2017. Opening the batting in Tests, the 24-year-old has consistently showed that he belongs at this level but his appearances in the 50-over format have been sporadic — he only has two half-centuries to his name in 18 innings. But with AB de Villiers hanging up his boots in 2018 and Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis in the twilight of their careers, Markram will soon be the one South Africa's batting line-up will revolve around.
David Miller
Batsman | AGE: 29
Matches - 120 | Runs - 2922 | Avg - 38.96 | HS - 139 | 50s - 12 | 100s - 5
David Miller is the kind of batsman teams would love to have at number 5 and 6 positions — where batsmen often have to play the big shots from the word go. A clean striker of the ball adept at clearing the boundary at will, Miller thrives when the platform has been laid for him. Miller made his ODI debut in 2010 but did not nail down his spot in the XI until 2013. The 2013 Champions Trophy that year was his first major tournament, while his maiden ODI century came in 2015. Miller has gone through phases when he has had a poor run of scores, but his batting average (close to 40) suggests that he is good enough to bat in the high pressure role.
Lungi Ngidi
Bowler | AGE: 23
Matches - 18 | Wickets - 34 | Best - 4-51 | Eco - 5.33
A muscular fast bowler who thrives on hitting the deck, Ngidi impressed with his Test debut against India when he picked up nine wickets in his first four Test innings, including a match-defining six for 39 in the second innings at SuperSport Park. Good performances in the Test whites earned Ngidi a call-up to the ODI squad. Injuries hampered him in the latter part of 2018 but his performances in the early part of the year and the promise he showed were enough to secure a place in the Proteas’ 2019 World Cup squad.
Chris Morris
All-rounder | AGE: 32
Matches - 34 | Runs - 393 | Avg - 19.65 | HS - 62| 100 - 0 | 50s - 1 | Wickets - 35 | Best - 4-31| Eco - 5.61
Chris Morris made his South Africa debut (first in the T20 format) in 2012 and his skill set suggested that he could be a key member across all three formats. With the ball, he could bowl at speeds north of 140kmph and his batting technique has always made him capable of contributing more than a handful. Yet, Morris has played only 34 ODIs over a six-year period while his involvement in the T20I team has also been sporadic. Morris found a place in South Africa’s squad after Anrich Nortje failed to recover from a broken thumb.
Andile Phehlukwayo
All-Rounder | AGE: 23
Matches - 43 | Runs - 416 | HS - 69* | Avg - 32.00 | 100 - 0 | 50s - 1 | Wickets - 54 | Best - 4-22 | Eco - 5.62
In January 2019, Andile Phehlukwayo, a relative new-comer in the team, showed his mettle with the bat with an unbeaten 69 against Pakistan. With South Africa five down for 80 in a chase of 204, Phehlukwayo combined with Rassie van der Dussen and his substantial knock led the Proteas to a five-wicket win. This innings, where he also picked up four wickets to help South Africa bowl out the visitor for 203, was proof of his know-how with the bat. With the ball, he has tended to be expensive, as his ODI economy rate (5.62) suggests, but with a multitude of variations up his sleeve, he can take wickets on any playing surface. He is the No. 8 that captains will want to have in a team’s line-up.
Dwaine Pretorius
Bowler | AGE: 30
Matches - 19 | Wickets - 24 | Best- 3-5| Eco - 4.88
Injuries have hampered Dwaine Pretorius from being able to play more and much earlier for South Africa, with a torn cartilage in his right knee denying him the chance to play the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. He went on to make his South Africa ODI debut eight years later, in 2016. Getting a long run in the team has continued to be a challenge for him. A run of seven matches and good performances in late-2018 and early-2019 helped him secure a place in the South Africa squad for the 2019 World Cup. A medium-pace bowler who can be handy with the bat lower down the order, Pretorius provides the team with much-needed depth in batting.
Kagiso Rabada
Bowler | AGE: 24
Matches - 66 | Wickets - 106 | Best - 6-16 | Eco - 4.98
Kagiso Rabada is only 24-years-old, but he has made big strides since breaking into the South African side towards the end of 2014. He has replaced an injury-ridden Dale Steyn as the spearhead of the team’s bowling attack and the captain’s go-to bowler across formats. Playing in his second ODI series for South Africa against India, Rabada successfully defended 10 runs off the final over with M. S. Dhoni on strike. For a young bowler, Rabada showed tremendous temperament under pressure and he has gone from strength to strength ever since. The Johannesburg-born Rabada is extremely well-built for a fast bowler and his smooth, easy action helps him clock speeds above 140kmph.
Tabraiz Shamsi
Bowler | AGE: 29
Matches - 15 | Wickets - 19 | Best - 4-33 | Eco - 5.30
Tabraiz Shamsi broke into South Africa’s ODI team in June 2016 and has performed well despite the lack of chances in the two-and-a-half years since. Shamsi has two three-wicket hauls to his name, while he has tended to be expensive on a handful of occasions. A chinaman bowler who possesses the googly and the slider, Shamsi complements Imran Tahir, the other wrist spinner in the South African bowling attack, whenever he features in the playing XI.
Dale Steyn
Bowler | AGE: 35
Matches - 125 | Wickets - 196 | Best - 6-39 | Eco - 4.87
Ever since making his ODI debut in 2005, Dale Steyn remains one of the finest bowlers in world cricket -- age and back-to-back injuries in the past four years, have not slowed this Proteas great. Much of Steyn’s success at the international level has come in Test cricket, with him being the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Tests with 439 scalps. For a bowler who played his first ODI in 2005, Steyn has gone on to play only 125 matches at the time of writing. He still is a wicket-taking threat and has the ability to generate pace and bounce off the toughest of wickets.
Imran Tahir
Bowler | AGE: 40
Matches - 98 | Wickets - 162 | Best - 7-45 | Eco - 4.62
Imran Tahir has been part of a period in international cricket when wrist spin has become the flavour in the limited-overs formats. Since he made his ODI debut in the 2011 World Cup, no spinner has taken as many wickets as Tahir has (162). He doesn’t turn the ball to the extent wrist spinners normally do, but the accuracy of his leg spin and an effective googly have made him dangerous around the world. In March 2019, Tahir announced that he will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup in England.
Rassie van der Dussen
Batsman | AGE: 30
Matches - 9 | Runs - 353 | Avg - 88.25 | HS - 93 | 100s -0 | 50s - 4
Rassie van der Dussen is a player whose skill set is similar to that of AB de Villiers and could prove to be a like-for-like replacement for the former skipper if we go by his batting positions in his first eight ODI innings. He has shots to score runs all around the pitch and has shown during his short international career that he understands and adapts to the demands of match situations. Van der Dussen has four 50-plus scores in eight innings, while he has already played a couple of match-defining knocks.
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