South African players during T20 World Cup 2026 (Source: AFP Photos)
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday announced a 15-member squad for an upcoming assignment, with no place for Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, their white-ball captains. Instead, they named a fresh face to captain the side just over a year ahead of World Cup 2027.
South Africa will tour Namibia for a tri-nation T20I series including Zimbabwe and the hosts, scheduled to get underway on August 28 in Windhoek. After that, South Africa will stay in Namibia for a three-match ODI series.
For both series, South Africa will have a fresh face as the new captain.
South Africa Name Bjorn Fortuin As New Captain
In the absence of Markram and Bavuma, South Africa will have Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner, as the captain of the side in Namibia for both series. Apart from that, Duan Jansen, Marco Jansen’s twin brother, made the cut for the first time in an international jersey.
31-year-old Fortuin has played 16 ODIs so far, as well as featured in 27 T20Is for South Africa. However, he has not captained the country in the past.
Duan Jansen impressed while playing in South Africa’s domestic white-ball competitions. He took 16 wickets in 8 matches in CSA DIV-1 2026, South Africa’s premier 50-over tournament. Needless to say, his contributions helped Titans win the competition in March this year.
“Bjorn is an experienced player and proven leader who has successfully captained the Lions, and we have every confidence in his ability to lead this group,” South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad said in a statement.
“This tour has also opened the door for players who have performed domestically. Duan is one of those players. He is a quality all-rounder who has also shown great character for the Titans,” he added.
Eathan Bosch, Jordan Hermann Among Others To Make The Cut
Among newbies, Eathan Bosch, Corbin Bosch’s younger brother, is another new face in the T20I setup. Meanwhile, Connor Esterhuizen, Jordan Hermann and Nqobani Mokoena have received the opportunity for the first time in ODIs.
“We saw glimpses of what Connor and Nqobani can offer during the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. It was unfortunate that Jordan picked up an injury in the opening match of that series, so we’re looking forward to seeing him get another opportunity at this level,” Conrad added.
South Africa Squad For Namibia Tour
Bjorn Fortuin (c), Eathan Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, Duan Jansen, Kwena Maphaka, Nqobani Mokoena, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Lutho Sipamla, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen
South Africa Tour Of Namibia 2026 Full Details
Co-hosts of the World Cup 2027, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe will play the tri-nation T20I series, all at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek.
In fact, the three ODIs between South Africa and Namibia will take place at the same venue.
South African players during T20 World Cup 2026 (Source: AFP Photos)
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