Dale Steyn in, Morne Morkel out. South Africa named one of their premier fast bowlers in the World T20 squad, while leaving out the other, as the selectors tried to pick the best possible 15 that will finally break the country's major ICC trophy duck.
Steyn has been struggling with injuries since picking up a groin strain in the first Test against India last year, before a shoulder injury then came biting to rule him out of much of the England series. The South African's inclusion in the World T20 squad is subject to fitness, but there is little doubt the value Steyn brings to the team.
When on song, there is no better fast bowler in the world, and even if his effectiveness in T20 cricket might be up for debate, any team will be glad to have Steyn in the side, and the Proteas management will, no doubt, give the 32-year-old as much time as possible to recover and prove his fitness.
Morkel's exclusion isn't that big a surprise, considering the tall fast bowler hasn't been picked in the T20 squads since August last year, with the selectors going with Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott as the other two main fast bowlers.
South Africa T20 captain Faf Du Plessis also has the option of using seam all-rounders Chris Morris and David Wiese, with the fact that both of those players are well versed with Indian conditions having played in the IPL – Morris went for big bucks at the IPL 2016 Player Auction last week – also helping matters. Albie Morkel, was the one left out, with Morris and Wiese preferred.
The spinners in the squad are Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso, and while South Africa like to play with just one spinner, even in sub-continental conditions, there will come a time when Phangiso will be needed, and it will be interesting how he copes under the World T20 pressure.
"We take some confidence from our T20 series wins against Bangladesh and India and kept relatively the same players who have had success on the subcontinent," South Africa coach Russell Domingo was quoted by as saying ESPNCricinfo. "We have been playing good T20 cricket of late and this is our opportunity to showcase our skills at a world event.
"The upcoming T20 series' against England and Australia will be the ideal platform for us to fine-tune some combinations and to hopefully gain some winning confidence ahead of the tournament next month.
"We are in a tough group in the tournament with England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and a qualifier. All of the top six teams on the world rankings have the skill and ability to lift the trophy so it's a completely open competition with high stakes."
South Africa are, actually, in the kinder group of the World T20, considering one of the qualifying teams cannot be Bangladesh either, with India, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand – all teams capable of easily winning the World T20 – being the other sides that the Proteas have avoided in the group stages.
From those teams in the group, South Africa will be the favourites to come through and make it to the semifinals, and nothing will give Du Plessis and the rest of the team more joy than finally winning an ICC world title, having come so close on so many occasions, only to fall with the finish line in sight.
The key for South Africa coming away with the World T20 title will be AB De Villiers.
De Villiers is unlikely to keep wickets for South Africa in the World T20, with Quinton de Kock, and an in-form de Kock at that, also included in the squad. So, that should free up the best batsman in the world to just concentrate on his batting, and use that ridiculous talent of his to tonk bowlers over the ropes.
However, South Africa will do well to get De Villiers in as early as possible in these T20 games, rather than holding him back to finish off the innings.
The longer the great man is at the crease, the better South Africa's chances of winning matches.
South Africa squad for World T20: Faf du Plessis (C), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, David Wiese, Imran Tahir, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott.
