Boucher omitted from S/A’s World Cup squad

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Batting stalwart Jacques  Kallis was named in South Africa’s World Cup squad on yesterday  despite missing the current series against India due to a rib  injury. Wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk, who smashed South  Africa’s quickest Twenty20 half-century two weeks ago, is the  only other player named who was not part of the squad for the  first three one-day internationals against India.

Twenty-one-year-old batsman David Miller, who played in the  first two ODIs against India, was left out of the squad for the  tournament on the sub-continent which starts next month.

Veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who is still a senior member of the test team, was also a controversial omission,  although his last limited-overs international was in the West  Indies in June. South Africa are trying to improve a miserable record at  World Cups, where they have usually been among the favourites  but have never progressed beyond the semi-finals, often finding  bizarre ways of exiting cricket’s premier one-day tournament. They will play India, England, West Indies, Bangladesh,  Ireland and the Netherlands in Group B.

Kallis, captain Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Robin  Peterson were members of the team humiliated by eventual  champions Australia in the 2007 semi-finals.

Squad – Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de  Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Johan Botha,  Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Imran  Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk.