The Proteas will have to make do without one their best batsmen for their opening Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan.
Middle-order basher Heinrich Klaasen has been ruled out of the match as a precautionary measure due to a left elbow soft tissue injury. The hard-hitting Titans star featured in the warm-up matches, but will have to watch the game from the sidelines.
Tony de Zorzi has come into the team at the top of the order and will open the batting with the in-form Ryan Rickelton. He got the nod over Tristan Stubbs, who will carry the drinks during the match.
The two openers will immediately be thrown into the middle after Proteas captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bat on a surface that has a bit of a green tinge, but also a few cracks.
Toss 🪙:
🇿🇦 South Africa won the toss and have elected to BAT first 🏏.
Here's a look at our playing 11 for this first game.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #ChampionsTrophy #AFGvSA pic.twitter.com/fCA35UxS6Q
The Proteas have decided to go with the four seamers, with Lungi Ngidi and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder selected in the starting eleven. Keshav Maharaj is the only front-line spinner in the team, with Tabraiz Shamsi left out.
It seems like Bavuma and the Proteas' brains trust were uncertain how the wicket will play, but still decided to have a bat. This indicates that they are wary of the Afghan spinners Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan.
"The wicket looks different to what we have been experiencing in Pakistan. Not really sure how it will react. We have to assess the wicket first," Bavuma said at the toss.
"Runs on the board is going to be key here. Hopefully we can get a competitive score on the board."
Teams for Karachi
Proteas: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad.
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