Though it’s not confirmed yet, it’s likely that the injured Donovan Ferreira will be ruled out of the T20 World Cup for the Proteas.
ESPNcricinfo reports that Ferreira may have fractured his shoulder during an SA20 match between Joburg Super Kings (JSK) and Pretoria Capitals (PC) at the Wanderers on Saturday. If it is confirmed as fractured, that would make him ineligible for the T20 World Cup starting on February 7.
Fielding on the boundary, Ferreira landed badly on his shoulder. When he came out to bat later, he faced one ball before retiring hurt.
His potential absence leaves the door open for a number of players that missed out on selection.
Rickelton and Baartman Shine as Potential Proteas T20 World Cup Contenders
While Ferreira was selected for his explosive finishing down the order, he can also keep wicket.
It means that Ryan Rickelton could be the best choice, although he is a top-order batsman, he also is a wicketkeeper.
Having scored his first hundred in the SA20 on the opening day of the competition on Boxing Day for MI Cape Town (MICT), Rickelton’s name was missing from the Proteas T20 World Cup squad announced a few days later.
That setback did not hinder Rickelton’s insatiable appetite for runs this season though, as he added another century to his growing tally and is the leading run-scorer so far.
In 10 matches, Rickelton has compiled 337 runs at an average of 42 and a strike-rate of 156.
While it’s not as likely, if the Proteas are not intent on replacing like-for-like, they could also call on Ottniel Baartman. Like Rickelton, the experienced pace bowler was unlucky not to be made the squad.
The 32-year-old tops the charts for most wickets this season, with 17 strikes including best figures of 5/16 for Paarl Royals.
@Michael_Sherman
Sport
