Western Province Colts have named a 22-player squad for the 2023-24 season in South Africa.
The squad includes Western Province Cricket Club trio Givon Christian, Justin Behrens and Alex Draai.
Claremont Cricket Club duo Matthew de Villiers and Josh Breed have also been selected.
Pinelands Cricket Club’s Jordan Woolf, Green Point Cricket Club’s Wesley Bedja, Primrose Cricket Club’s Abdallah Bayoumy, Northerns Goodwood Cricket Club’s Reeve Cyster and Strandfontein Cricket Club’s Josh Chippendale are also in the Western Province Colts squad.
“The panel, which importantly includes our professional team coaches was tasked to identify the players and agreed that the high-performance players, namely Gavin Kaplan and Liyema Waqu, will not be included in the current list for approval,” read a statement from the Western Province Cricket Association.
“They are already accommodated in the professional squad, but will be eligible for selection to the Colts.
“The academy squad will be made up of players currently in the Colts and players who are performing well within club cricket for further opportunities within the academy fixtures.
“There are additional under-19 players, namely Rafeeq Daniels, Ollie Whitehead, Fayaad Davids and Tiaan Louw, to mention a few, who have spent time with the professional team in the winter and will be invited to further sessions.”
WP Colts squad for 2023-24 season
- Ruben Senekal
- Quinton Dreyer
- Givon Christian
- Lwando Tywaku
- Kai Curran
- Sinalo Gobeni
- Abdallah Bayoumy
- Reeve Cyster
- Alex Draai
- Yves Kamanzi
- Phindile Tsolekile
- Tyler Williams
- Josh Chippendale
- Jordan Woolf
- Wesley Bedja
- Justin Behrens
- Maahir Eksteen
- Bongile Mfunelwa
- Asakhe Tsaka
- Jesse Christensen
- Matthew de Villiers
- Josh Breed
- Roger Telemachus (coach)
- Graham October (manager)
- Ghaleelullah Achmat (strength and conditioning coach)
“We are very excited for the return of the Colts squad, which provides greater opportunity for our aspiring cricketers to showcase what they must ensure that the player pipeline to the professional team remains strong,” said WPCSA cricket services manager Clinton du Preez.
“It was important to look at the last season performances and to balance the squad with current academy players and our young cricketers who have shown immense potential. It remains important that we acknowledge players within our structure to ensure that we address the gaps at senior level.”
WPCA president Johannes Adams added: “Re-introducing the Colts program is a significant step in strengthening our player pipeline and succession planning within the province. It offers promising opportunities for our academy, high-performance players, and club cricketers to further excel. We are committed to ensuring that Western Province Cricket remains strong at every level.”