Heinrich Klaasen‘s international playing future could be over after he was not named in Cricket South Africa’s 18-player central contract list. Klaasen, who retired from Test cricket in January 2024, was on a white-ball only contract in the previous cycle and is understood to be prioritising his T20 league future. CSA said in a statement that “discussions regarding his future are ongoing and a final decision will be made in due course.”
David Miller, who was also on a white-ball only deal last year and Rassie van der Dussen accepted hybrid contracts which will allow them to “participate in specific agreed-upon bilateral tours and ICC events.”
Both Klaasen and Miller are contracted to teams in the Hundred which will clash with South Africa’s white-ball tour to Australia that runs from August 10 to 24.
The 18-player contract list included Lizaad Williams, who has been out of action after undergoing knee surgery this year, allrounder Senuran Muthusamy and 18-year-old left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka for the first time.
David Bedingham, Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Verreynne, who were given what CSA called ‘contract upgrades” (in other words added to the central contract list midway through the season) were all retained, as was Nandre Burger though he hasn’t played a match all season as he recovers from a stress fracture.
Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo were the only two players other than Klaasen who lost their deals. Tabraiz Shamsi, who opted out of his central contract last October, and Anrich Nortje, who did not sign a deal when the last contracts were drawn up, remained off the list.
The contracted group included Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma and T20I skipper Aiden Markram along with all of the first-choice pace attack. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj were all on the list (but Test seamer Dane Paterson is not) alongside regular Test batters Tony de Zorzi, and David Bedingham. All-format batters Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton were also included with the playing group providing a clear indication of who South Africa will call on for the World Test Championship final (WTC) in June, as well as next year’s T20 World Cup, as they build towards the home ODI World Cup in 2027.
“All of these players have been contracted with the importance of the next World Test Championship cycle and the 2027 Cricket World Cup on home soil in mind,” Enoch Nkwe, Director of National Teams and High Performance said. “The hybrid contracts take into consideration the dynamic nature of modern-day cricket and will provide David and Rassie with the opportunity to contribute to the team during specific bilateral tours and ICC events. An exciting season awaits as we compete for the WTC mace and look to take one step further in next year’s T20 World Cup.”
South Africa last played international cricket at the Champions Trophy semi-final, which they lost to New Zealand, and will next play at the WTC final before beginning a lengthy program away from home. They will play Tests and a T20I series in Zimbabwe in July, white-ball matches in Australia and England, Tests in Pakistan and will close out the year with an all-format tour of India. They will also be under a new coach in white-ball cricket after Rob Walter resigned last week.
Current Test coach Shukri Conrad is the frontrunner to take over. It was under Conrad that Klaasen retired from Tests after Conrad had initially picked him over Verreynne, then went back to Verreynne and hoped Klaasen would play on some of the slower surfaces later in the cycle. Klaasen’s retirement changed those plans.
Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams
Hybrid contracts: David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen
Source: ESPNCricinfo
