South Africa’s left-arm spinning all-rounder, George Linde, is set to join the squad for the remainder of the campaign. According to reports, he will provide cover for Aiden Markram.
Markram sustained a right hamstring injury while fielding against England and remained on the sidelines for the rest of the match. Since the camp had time to decide whom to use, they added Linde. As for Markram, his availability will be determined following a fitness test during Tuesday evening’s training session.
It is no secret that the Proteas were the team most affected by injuries before the Champions Trophy. From Gerald Coetzee to Anrich Nortje and even Lizaad Williams, several players were injured and missed the final squad. Now, in the ongoing tournament, Aiden Markram’s case is surely causing concerns in the Proteas camp, not just for this tournament but moving forward.
Speaking about Linde, he is set to arrive in the South African camp on the evening of March 4. However, he will officially join the squad only if Markram is ruled out and the ICC’s event technical committee approves the replacement.
George Linde’s stats
Batting
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s |
| Tests | 3 | 6 | 0 | 135 | 37 | 22.5 | 255 | 52.94 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 2 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 18 | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 16 | 12 | 1 | 159 | 48 | 14.45 | 109 | 145.87 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 3 | 5 | 473 | 252 | 9 | 5/64 | 5/68 | 28 | 3.19 | 52.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ODIs | 2 | 2 | 90 | 72 | 3 | 2/32 | 2/32 | 24 | 4.8 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 16 | 16 | 336 | 389 | 20 | 4/21 | 4/21 | 19.45 | 6.94 | 16.8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Although there isn’t much to show on the international front, as this 33-year-old player is new to that space, he played an impressive role in the SA20 league for MI Cape Town, starting from 2023 till 2025. His stats have been impressive, having played 30 matches in total, picked 24 wickets, and, on top of that, contributed with the bat as well, scoring 339 runs.
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