Dewald Brevis receives maiden South Africa call-up for Australia series

Brevis, who burst onto the scene during the 2022 Under-19 World Cup and was signed up by the Mumbai Indians immediately for the IPL, has received his maiden international call-up

Dewald Brevis and Donovan Fereira have received maiden call-ups to the South Africa squad for the limited-overs series against Australia. The team was announced by Cricket South Africa’s selection committee on Monday, August 14. Gerald Coetzee, who has already featured in Tests and ODIs, has got his maiden T20I call-up. 

While Brevis and paceman Coetzee were named in both the T20I and ODI squads, all-rounder Fereira has only been kept in the T20I squad. The series will commence on August 30, 2023, with the T20 international leg at Kingsmead, Durban. 

What was Brevis’ claim to fame?

Brevis, named ‘Baby AB’ because of his ability to play 360 degrees, was the leading run-scorer in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup. He hit 506 runs at an average of 84 and a strike rate of 90 in just six innings. In that tournament, he was head and shoulders ahead of all other batters, hitting two centuries and three half-centuries with a high score of 138. 

Right after the tournament, the then 18-year-old Brevis was signed up by Mumbai Indians for Rs three crore in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction. 

What has Brevis done since the Under-19 World Cup?

Brevis has played four First-Class, eight List-A and 44 T20 matches, scoring 179, 247 and 1055 runs in them respectively.

Before being picked in the Proteas squad, the right-handed batter and right-arm leg spinner played crucial knocks of 57 and 41* for MI New York in the Major League Cricket. He also featured in South Africa A’s tour of Sri Lanka in June 2023 and scored an unbeaten 98 in a winning cause in a List-A game.   

What are the major additions and omissions in the South African squad?

Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been rested for the three-match T20I series keeping in mind their importance for the ODI World Cup later this year. Keshav Maharaj has made a comeback after a long injury hiatus and will complement Tabraiz Shamsi as the second spinner in the side in both formats. 

Temba Bavuma will continue to lead the ODI side while Markram will remain the captain of the T20I side. 

South Africa T20I squad

Aiden Markram (captain), Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams and Rassie van der Dussen.

South Africa ODI squad

Temba Bavuma (captain), Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, and Rassie van der Dussen.