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AFFIES STAR VIHAN PRETORIUS EMERGES FROM BIG BROTHER'S SHADOW WITH SA U19 SELECTION

7 Jul 20254 mins

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been making a name for himself since his schoolboy days but he’s not the only talented cricketer in his family, emphasised this week by younger brother Vihan Pretorius’ selection for the South Africa Under-19 squad.

Vihan, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool's star batter, is one of three new faces in the squad Cricket South Africa have named for the upcoming three-match Youth One-Day International (YODI) series against Bangladesh, followed by a tri-series involving hosts Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare.

The three-match home series against Bangladesh will be played from 17-22 July at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, before both teams travel to Zimbabwe for the tri-series scheduled from 25 July-10 August.

The tour forms part of the squad’s ongoing preparation for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, set to take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.

Batter Muhammad Bulbulia (newly-signed by Tuskers for the 2025-26 domestic season) and St David's Marist Inanda's star all-rounder Jason Rowles will continue to share captaincy duties, having led the junior Proteas during the recent series against Namibia.

Pretorius, meanwhile, will be joined by Lions duo Corne Botha (seamer) and Armaan Manack (opening batter) in earning their maiden call-ups to the national age-group side.

SA U19 Convenor of Selectors Patrick Moroney commented: "We had a productive selection week featuring three competitive 50-over matches involving a pool of 27 players.

“Armaan impressed with a standout knock of 147 and has shown good progression through the emerging setup. Vihan brings added depth with his versatility as a batting option, while Corne has been on our radar for some time and really put his hand up with the ball this past week.

Vihan Pretorius, whose older brother is Proteas' Lhuan-dre, is starting to make his own name in the game with his selection for the SA U19 team

"Overall, we’re pleased with the balance of the squad and look forward to seeing how these players take their opportunities in the coming weeks."

SA U19 Head Coach Malibongwe Maketa added: "We’ve retained both Muhammed and Jason as co-captains because we believe strongly in developing leadership within our youth structures. This approach also gives us the opportunity to assess both players in leadership roles across more matches before selecting a single captain for next year’s Under-19 World Cup. "We’ve always maintained that the door to selection remains open, and it’s exciting for us as coaches to welcome new players like Corne, Armaan, and Vihan. They’ve shown great promise, and this tour gives us the opportunity to see how they perform at junior international level. "The home series against Bangladesh will be a strong test against a quality subcontinent side and provides exactly the type of challenge we need as we continue building towards the World Cup. Both series will help us assess our progress and identify areas for improvement as we sharpen our preparations."

As an aside, St David’s Marist Inanda may have lost to Bishops Diocesan College in the inaugural Schools SA20 Final Showdown, but the Johannesburgers have bragging rights over the Capetonians with three players - co-captain Rowles, newbie Manack and wicketkeeper-batter Kamogelo Phiri in the squad to Bishops’ one (Adnaan Lagadien, the Schools SA20 batter of the tournament). Hoërskool Noordheuwel are next best with two representatives as newbie Botha will join JJ Basson in the national squad.

St David's Marist Inanda, the Schools SA20 runners-up, supply Jason Rowles, Armaan Manack and Kamogelo Phiri to the latest SA U19 squad

SA U19 MEN'S SQUAD - ODI SERIES VS BANGLADESH AND ODI TRI-SERIES VS ZIMBABWE AND BANGLADESH

Muhammad Bulbulia (captain, Tuskers), Jason Rowles (captain, St David's Marist Inanda - Lions), JJ Basson (Hoërskool Noordheuwel - Lions), Daniel Bosman (Rondebosch Boys' High School - Western Province), Corne Botha (Hoërskool Noordheuwel - Lions), Paul James (Wynberg Boys' High School - Western Province), Enathi Kitshini (CSA Hub Invitational XI - South Western Districts), Adnaan Lagadien (Bishops Diocesan College - Western Province), Bayanda Majola (Durban High School - Dolphins), Armaan Manack (St David's Marist Inanda - Lions), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Kamogelo Phiri (St David's Marist Inanda - Lions), Vihan Pretorius (Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool - Titans), Ntando Soni (Dolphins), and Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).