Two wicket-keepers named for the Seattle Orcas in South Africa’s T20I squad against Pakistan

Two wicket-keepers belong to the Seattle Orcas; An American professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Seattle, Washington has been named to play for South Africa.

Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickleton will face their Pakistan counterparts in an important three-match ODI series starting today, Tuesday, at Boland Park in Paarl.

Klaasen, born on July 30, 1991 in Pretoria, is a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper. Previously, Klaasen captained South Africa in a T20I match for the first time in 2021. He is considered one of the most destructive players in limited-overs cricket in modern times.

While Rickleton, born on July 11, 1996 in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman known for his aggressive left-handed batting. With over 2,000 T20 runs to his name, he is a fearless player who thrives under pressure and always looks to take the game to the opponent.

This even comes just days after the hosts defeated the South Asian nation’s team in a Twenty20 International championship. South Africa won the T20I series 2-0 after being eliminated in the third T20I on December 14.

The ODI series is significant for both teams as they prepare for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan in February and March 2025. Pakistan will also play a Test series against South Africa later this month.

“This is an important ODI series in view of our preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy and with Allah’s help, we will try to emulate our performances from the ODI series against Australia,” Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s ODI captain, said in a statement Statement shared by the ICC Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“We didn’t get the ideal results in the T20I series but I am very happy with some of our players’ performances in these conditions, especially Saim’s batting performance in both games. Our batting, pace and spin are decent enough to challenge South Africa and win the series with the help of almighty.

“I see a lot of potential in our ODI squad with young and experienced players both ready to take the best step forward, making us an exciting prospect as a one-day side, not just for this series but for this one too Home game.” Nation Series and the blockbuster white-ball mega event at home.”

Game plan:

December 17 – 1st ODI vs South Africa at Boland Bank Park, Paarl (5:00pm PKT)

December 19 – 2nd ODI vs South Africa at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (5:00 p.m. PKT)

December 22 – 3rd ODI vs South Africa at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (5:00 p.m. PKT)

December 26 – 1st Test vs South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion (1:00 p.m. PKT)

January 3 – 2nd Test against South Africa at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (1:00 p.m. PKT)