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Cricket South Africa recently announced their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE.
A well brewed balance between experience and young talents can be seen in the South African squad. The team will be led by its seasoned campaigner Temba Bavuma who has already steered the Proteas to the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) against Australia. However, South Africa is eyeing to win their maiden ICC trophy before the WTC finals and emerge from their reputation of bottling major ICC tournaments throughout their cricketing history.
South Africa’s run in the ODI World Cup 2023
South Africa made a decent start to the ODI World Cup held in India back in 2023. The Proteas were second in the group stage only behind India with 7 wins and 2 losses. However, they faced off against Australia in the semi-finals of the tournament where they were defeated by the then 5-time world champions by 3 wickets. Thus their long-standing dream of winning a major ICC trophy could not come true. The Aussies would go on to defeat the winner of the second semi-final, India and win the prestigious title for a record 6th time.
Keeping the memories of this unsuccessful campaign in perspective South Africa made several changes in their limited overs claim to raise a solid claim over the Champions Trophy this year. Thus, here are 5 South African players who played the ODI World cup 2023 but failed to make it to the Champions Trophy 2025 squad list.
Also Read: Cricket South Africa announces squad for Champions Trophy 2025; Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi return
5 players who will not play for South Africa in Champions Trophy 2025
1) Quinton de Kock:
The ace wicket-keeper batter with 6,770 runs in the ODI format for South Africa was the third highest run-scorer in the ODI World Cup 2023 with 594 runs to his name. The 32-year-old even took retirement from Test cricket in 2021 to focus on the limited overs format. However, an uncertainty looms around whether he wants to play for South Africa again. De Kock has not played international cricket since South Africa’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. He was also not part of the South African team in their recent white-ball series against Pakistan and India.
2) Gerald Coetzee
The young South African pace sensation, Gerald Coetzee has been kept out of the South African squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 due to a groin injury which has been bothering him since the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Durban. The 24-year-old was earlier ruled out for the Test, ODI and T20I series against Pakistan and a set date over his comeback in the South African squad is still unknown. Coetzee was the star performer for South Africa with the ball during the 2023 ODI World Cup where he clinched 20 wickets in 8 innings.
3) Andile Phehlukwayo
Andile Phehlukwayo is amongst the South African players who showed promising signs in first-class cricket but failed to leave a mark for the Proteas. He was a part of South Africa’s ODI world cup squad as a promising youngster with proven all-round abilities in South Africa’s domestic cricket. However, the 28-year-old could never make it big in the ODI format. He was recently given the opportunity against Pakistan in the ODI series but the all-rounder failed miserably. Phehlukwayo has scored just 883 runs and taken 97 wickets in 85 ODI matches for South Africa.
4) Reeza Hendricks
Reeza Hendricks has been an important part of the South African team in the T20I format. However, his ODI commitments are still uncertain. The 35-year-old last played 50-over cricket against Ireland in October 2024 and has since focussed on playing T20 cricket for the Proteas. Thus, it seems highly unlikely that Hendricks will feature for South Africa in ODI format ever again.
5) Lizaad Williams
Lizaad Williams was part of South Africa’s ODI squad against Ireland in October 2024, however the pacer has missed the opening few games for his SA20 side, Joburg Super Kings. Due to injury concerns, and an unknown recovery time the 31-year-old has been ruled out of the South African squad for the Champions Trophy 2025.
