5 South African players at the 2023 World Cup who may not play the next edition in 2027 ft. Temba Bavuma
South Africa suffered a close defeat in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against Australia on Thursday in Kolkata. Despite winning the last four ODIs against Australia, the Proteas ended up losing the game that mattered the most and crashed out of the mega event.
Not many fans expected South Africa to win seven matches in the league round, but the Proteas executed their plans to perfection and finished second in the standings. The pressure of the semi-finals once again impacted the Proteas as they failed to make it to the 2023 World Cup final.
The next ODI World Cup will take place in 2027. Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has already announced retirement from ODIs. Here are five of his teammates who may not make it to the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa.
#1 Temba Bavuma
South African captain Temba Bavuma could not lead his team from the front in the 2023 World Cup. Bavuma scored only 145 runs in eight matches. Even bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen scored more runs than him.
Bavuma is likely to be dropped from the South African squad after a disappointing performance as an opener. Reeza Hendricks may replace him as an opener in the ODI team.
#2 Kagiso Rabada
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada played a big role in South Africa's success at the 2023 World Cup. The right-arm pacer picked up 13 wickets in nine matches. While Rabada is just 28 years old now, he may think of retiring from ODIs before the 2027 World Cup.
The reason behind this is that Rabada has some lucrative deals in franchise cricket. Like Trent Boult, he may reject a central contract. Since Cricket South Africa (CSA) does not consider franchise cricket stars for international matches, Rabada may have to watch the World Cup from home.
#3 David Miller
David Miller will be 38 by the time the next ODI World Cup arrives. With T20 cricket gaining so much prominence and even getting a place in the 2028 Olympics, Miller might think of giving up the 50-over format to extend his T20 career.
Like Rabada, Miller is a top player in franchise cricket. He has earned mega deals from franchises across the world.
#4 Rassie van der Dussen
Middle-order batter Rassie van der Dussen will turn 35 soon. He might continue playing ODIs until the 2025 Champions Trophy, but the middle-order batter may find it challenging to continue playing the 50-over format regularly till the 2027 World Cup.
Moreover, ODI cricket demands players to be on top of their fitness, which is bound to go down as one ages. Thus, we might not see van der Dussen donning the Proteas jersey in the next 50-over World Cup.
#5 Heinrich Klaasen
Like David Miller and Kagiso Rabada, wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen is a player who can make massive money in franchise cricket. Klaasen has established himself as one of the cleanest hitters of the ball in the current era.
If Klaasen decides to play franchise leagues over international cricket like Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers, he may not feature in South Africa's squad for the 2027 World Cup.