Johannesburg - Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday named three new caps in the Proteas’ squad for the New Age Cup T20 International match to be played against India at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Friday, March 30.

There are first-time call-ups in any international format for Nashua Titans batsman Farhaan Behardien and Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras wicketkeeper Dane Vilas while Faf du Plessis, also of the Titans, will be making his international debut in the T20 format.

Johan Botha of the Chevrolet Warriors will lead the side in the absence of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.

“We are leaving all the players out who are involved in the current Test match against New Zealand with the exception of Jacques Kallis for whom there are special circumstances,” explained CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson. “They will arrive back home two days before the start of the match, having travelled halfway across the world, including a 10-hour time difference, and we don’t believe they will be in any condition to play an international game of cricket.

“We still have a very strong squad for this important match including the bulk of the players who won the T20 International series in New Zealand.

“The three players who have been called up for the first time have all done extremely well in the domestic equivalent and this follows our policy of rewarding good domestic form. Behardien (1st) and Vilas (3rd) are currently high up the batting averages for the MiWay T20 Challenge and they also have imposing strike rates.

“We have chosen a squad of 13 as there is some doubt about the fitness of Kallis who has been ruled out of the current Test match. The team management needs to have plenty of options available such is Kallis’ all-round value to the side,” Hudson concluded.

Proteas’ T20 squad:

Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors, captain), Farhaan Behardien (Nashua Titans), Faf du Plessis (Nashua Titans), Jacques Kallis (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Colin Ingram (Chevrolet Warriors), Richard Levi (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Justin Ontong (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Rusty Theron (Chevrolet Warriors), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Morne van Wyk (Chevrolet Knights), Dane Vilas (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras)