CSA announces SA Emerging u19 squad
Cricket South Africa has taken the first step in their 2026 U19 Cricket World Cup preparations by announcing a 15-member Emerging u19 squad to tour Zimbabwe from 15 to 30 September. The team will face the Zimbabwe u19 side while on tour.
The squad was selected from the top-performing players in the country at present. Gauteng’s Lions and Titans have four players in the side, KZN Inland has two, while their Coastal neighbours have three representatives. Western Province matches Gauteng with four players, while the Free State and North West have one player each.
“I am excited for this tour. We don’t normally have a lot of time to work with the u19 side. This time around, we have selected a team that we are going to work with over the next 18 months,” Malibongwe Maketa, the side’s coach shared.
However, he was quick to point out that while the squad features the top-performing players at the moment, it might look different in a year-and-a-half’s time.
“These guys have the advantage that they are now working with the high-performance team at CSA, but this doesn’t mean that they should rest on their laurels. Any player in this side can be overtaken by any player along the way,” he explained.
The selection committee picked five seamers, two spinners, two all-rounders, and six specialist batsmen. There was an emphasis on picking players with two-and-a-half skills:- batsmen who can bowl and are relatively good in the field, bowlers who can bat and can field, or batsmen who can keep wicket, and who might be able to provide a decent over or two with the ball.
“Cricket is evolving, the game is now being dominated by players with multiple skills, one primary and then a secondary skill that adds value,” Maketa said.
Three of the batsmen, Muhammed Bulbulia, Ben Hockly, and Lethabo Phahlamohlaka are all proficient with the gloves. Jason Rowles and Jorich van Schalkwyk are top-order batsmen whose bowling skills are above the level of part-timers. They will complement the team’s specialist spinners, Luke Kleinsmith and Dakalo Leketa.
“All the batters we have in the side can bat anywhere in the top four, and we are going to be flexible with them, trying them in different places. We know Adnaan (Lagadien) is a fantastic opener, but we want to equip him with the ability to bat anywhere in the top four,” Maketa explained.
Paul James and Daniel Bosman are the all-rounders in the lineup, and both can deliver 10 overs in a match if required. The pace bowling attack features JJ Basson, Dayalan Boyce, Ntando Soni, Bayanda Majola, and Rowen Rajah.
On tour, the players will be exposed to different conditions and tougher opposition than they are used to facing. The Zimbabwe u19 side is composed of players two years older than the South African contingent. They will be pushed to their limits, which will help Maketa and the rest of the coaching staff to identify the gaps in each player’s game. That will help them to further upskill the players.
“We want to equip these guys with the skills to make decisions under pressure and this is the first step in that direction. We don’t want to be coaching them during the 2026 World Cup as we did with the last cohort,” Maketa said.
This is the first time that Cricket South Africa has identified u19 players early and the high-performance coaches are confident that with more time to work with the players, there will be an increased chance of the junior Proteas claiming the world title in 2026. The tournament will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Emerging U19 Squad
JJ Basson, Dayalan Boyce, Daniel Bosman, Muhammed Bulbulia, Ben Hockly, Paul James, Luke Kleinsmith, Adnaan Lagadien, Dakalo Leketa, Bayanda Majola, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Rowen Rajah, Jason Rowles, Ntando Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk.
