Paterson and Baartman Lead South Africa A Squad for England Lions Tour

The tour will begin with two four-day fixtures from May 22, with the side to be led by batter Marques Ackermann. The coaching group will be headed by Wandile Gwavu, with former internationals Justin Ontong and Rory Kleinveldt taking charge of batting and bowling duties respectively.

Baartman, 33, finds himself back in contention after narrowly missing out on selection for the T20 World Cup. He will look to stake his claim in the red-ball format, while young fast bowler Mokoena, already capped in T20Is, continues his progression through the ranks.

Paterson's inclusion marks a notable return to the longer-format setup. The seamer last featured in Tests in the 2024 Boxing Day match, which helped South Africa secure a place in the World Test Championship final. Although he travelled with the squad to Lord's, he did not make the playing XI and subsequently missed overseas tours to Pakistan and India. Now 37 and without a central contract, this assignment presents a renewed opportunity as South Africa gear up for a busy home Test season.

All three pacers, Paterson, Baartman, and Mokoena, have also been named in the one-day squad for the three-match series that follows the four-day games. They will be joined in the limited-overs setup by promising quicks Kwena Maphaka and Gerald Coetzee.

In the batting department, Tony de Zorzi returns after recovering from an injury that ruled him out of the T20 World Cup. He features in both squads alongside Jason Smith, who had limited opportunities in that tournament. Additional batting options include the Hermann brothers, Jordan Hermann and Rubin Hermann, as well as Sinethemba Qeshile and Lesego Senokwane, all of whom are on the fringes of national selection.

The one-day squad also features Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Connor Esterhuizen, both of whom are currently playing in the Indian Premier League. Pretorius has already represented South Africa across formats, while Esterhuizen impressed on his T20I debut tour in New Zealand, finishing as the leading run-scorer.

The four-day matches will be played at Arundel and Beckenham, venues familiar to the side from their preparations ahead of the World Test Championship final. The white-ball fixtures are scheduled to take place in Leicester and Worcester, providing a comprehensive test for South Africa A as they look to build depth across formats ahead of a demanding international calendar.

South Africa A Four-Day Squad: Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Zubayr Hamza, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, Nqobani Mokoena, Dane Paterson, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lesego Senokwane, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen, Tiaan van Vuuren, Codi Yusuf

South Africa A One-Day squad: Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann, Kwena Maphaka, Nqobani Mokoena, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen

- IANS