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Cape Town - The 2019 Cricket World Cup in England in Wales gets underway on May 30 all all 10 squads have now been named.
The Proteas have compiled a 15-man squad with a good blend between youth and experience, but a closer look reveals that they go into the tournament as one of the oldest sides.
Sri Lanka have the oldest squad heading into the competition with an average age of 29.9. Seasoned pacers Lasith Malinga (35) and Suranga Lakmal (32) look likely to spearhead the bowling attack.
Former captain Angelo Mathews (31) and a rejuvenated Jeevan Mendis (36) also contribute to that overall average.
South Africa and hosts England aren't too far behind, with average squad ages of 29.5, while Australia are just marginally younger at 29.4.
All three nations possess settled sides that have achieved good things of late in the ODI format, with a good balance of sprightly young stars alongside wily veterans.
The Proteas possess the tournament's oldest player, 40-year-old leg-spinner Imran Tahir, whose exuberance and manic celebrations are not quite reflective of his age.
The youngest squad, meanwhile, is that of Pakistan, where the average age is 27.3, followed closely by Afghanistan (27.4).
Pakistan look set to unleash promising 19-year-old quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain on the world's biggest stage, while Afghanistan will look to exploit their youthful options with the two-pronged spin attack of 20-year-old Rashid Khan, the No 3-ranked bowler in the world, and fellow tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who at 18, is the youngest player at the tournament.
