Johannesburg, Mar 23: South Africa named uncapped batsman Farhaan Behardien and wicketkeeper Dane Vilas to its squad Friday for a one-off Twenty20 game against India next week.
One-day international player Faf du Plessis, who is yet to appear in T20s for the Proteas, was also named in the 13-man group, as was explosive batsman Richard Levi.
South Africa's selectors rested all the members of the test team currently touring New Zealand with the exception of Jacques Kallis. Next Friday's game at the Wanderers was organized as a tribute to 36-year-old allrounder Kallis, who missed the ongoing third test in Wellington with a stiff neck but is expected to recover for the India T20.
Offspinner Johan Botha will captain South Africa in place of regular limited overs skipper A.B. de Villiers.
Behardien currently tops the averages in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 competition and has a career average of 28.28 from 44 T20 games with a strike rate of more than 127.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Vilas has an even more impressive average of 41.75 in the 20-over format and a strike rate of 132. He has been touted as a potential successor to long-serving wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
It's likely to be Levi's first international on home soil.
The right-hander's 117 not out last month against New Zealand in his second game for South Africa equaled Chris Gayle's record for the highest score in a T20 international. He also broke the record for the fastest century in the shortest form of the game when he reached three figures off 45 balls.
Head selector Andrew Hudson said the test players weren't considered for the India game because they're only due to arrive home from New Zealand two days earlier.
Squad:
Johan Botha (captain), Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk, Dane Vilas.
