CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Batting stalwart Jacques Kallis was named in South Africa’s World Cup squad on yesterday despite missing the current series against India due to a rib injury. Wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk, who smashed South Africa’s quickest Twenty20 half-century two weeks ago, is the only other player named who was not part of the squad for the first three one-day internationals against India.
Twenty-one-year-old batsman David Miller, who played in the first two ODIs against India, was left out of the squad for the tournament on the sub-continent which starts next month.
Veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who is still a senior member of the test team, was also a controversial omission, although his last limited-overs international was in the West Indies in June. South Africa are trying to improve a miserable record at World Cups, where they have usually been among the favourites but have never progressed beyond the semi-finals, often finding bizarre ways of exiting cricket’s premier one-day tournament. They will play India, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands in Group B.
Kallis, captain Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Robin Peterson were members of the team humiliated by eventual champions Australia in the 2007 semi-finals.
Squad – Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk.
