Champions Trophy: George Linde joins SA squad as Markram's cover
What's the story
Left-arm spin bowling allrounder George Linde has been added as a traveling reserve in the South African squad for the ongoing Champions Trophy. This comes after Aiden Markram suffered a right hamstring injury during a match against England. The injury forced Markram to sit out for rest of the game and he will undergo a fitness test today to check his availability for semi-final clash with New Zealand.
Injury crisis
South Africa's injury woes continue
Markram isn't the only one battling fitness issues as South Africa has been dealing with a spate of injuries. Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams were all ruled out even before the tournament started. These unfortunate situations have resulted in Linde's addition to the squad as a precautionary measure against further injuries or unavailability of players.
Strategic addition
Linde's potential role in semi-final and final
Linde will join the South African camp today but won't officially replace Markram unless the latter is confirmed as unavailable and the ICC's event technical committee approves the change. His inclusion appears to be strategic, possibly preparing for a Dubai final against India where conditions are drier, necessitating an extra spinner. Currently, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi are the two specialist spinners in the squad. However, only Maharaj has played in Pakistan.
Player profile
Linde's recent form and performance
In the 2025 SA20, Linde was instrumental in MI Cape Town's first-ever title win. He scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 153.33 and took 11 wickets at an economy of 6.29 in 11 games. More recently, representing Western Province in the One-Day Challenge Division One, he scored a staggering 106 runs and took four wickets in five games. He has so far played just a couple of ODIs so far.
Additional reserve
Kwena Maphaka also travels with South Africa
Along with Linde, left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka is also traveling with the South African squad as a reserve. In other team news, Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi have recovered from their illnesses and are set to train today. This comes as South Africa prepares for their semi-final clash against New Zealand in the ongoing Champions Trophy tournament. The match will be played in Lahore on March 5.