Heinrich Klaasen left out of South Africa’s central contracts list; 2 Players sign Hybrid Deal

Heinrich Klaasen’s international future has entered uncertain territory after the wicketkeeper-batter was excluded from Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) 18-player central contract list for the upcoming season. Klaasen, who had already retired from Test cricket in January 2024, was previously on a white-ball only deal, but has now been left out entirely—raising serious questions about his availability for national duty going forward.

CSA, however, stated that discussions regarding Klaasen’s future are ongoing and a final decision will be announced “in due course.”

Klaasen prioritising T20 leagues

Klaasen is understood to be focusing on his T20 franchise career, with commitments in various global leagues. His omission from the new central contracts list may indicate a shift away from representing South Africa regularly, especially with league fixtures potentially clashing with national duties.

Both Klaasen and David Miller are contracted to teams in The Hundred, which runs concurrently with South Africa’s scheduled white-ball tour of Australia from August 10 to 24. While Klaasen’s position remains unclear, Miller and top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen have accepted hybrid contracts that allow them to feature in “specific agreed-upon bilateral tours and ICC events.”

CSA Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe, explained the rationale behind the hybrid system:

“The hybrid contracts take into consideration the dynamic nature of modern-day cricket and will provide David and Rassie with the opportunity to contribute to the team during specific bilateral tours and ICC events. An exciting season awaits as we compete for the WTC mace and look to take one step further in next year’s T20 World Cup.”

New faces and retained performers

The latest 18-player contract list features several interesting names. Left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka, just 18 years old, received his maiden central contract. Allrounder Senuran Muthusamy and seamer Lizaad Williams—currently recovering from knee surgery—also made the cut.

Middle-order batters David Bedingham, Wiaan Mulder, and Kyle Verreynne were all retained after being upgraded to full contracts during the previous season. Fast bowler Nandre Burger, who hasn’t played a match this season due to a stress fracture, also retained his deal.

Notable exclusions

Klaasen wasn’t the only high-profile exclusion. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo also lost their contracts. Tabraiz Shamsi, who opted out of his deal in October 2024, and Anrich Nortje, who didn’t sign the previous contract round, remained off the list.

Leadership and format balance

CSA’s contract list reflects their planning for both red-ball and white-ball formats in a packed international calendar. Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma, T20I skipper Aiden Markram, and all-format pace stars Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, and Marco Jansen were all included. Keshav Maharaj, another key figure in the spin department, also retained his contract.

Young batters Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, and Ryan Rickelton continue to be backed as part of South Africa’s future plans, including preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup at home and the World Test Championship (WTC) final scheduled for June.

Nkwe said,

“All of these players have been contracted with the importance of the next WTC cycle and the 2027 Cricket World Cup on home soil in mind.”

Coaching changes and upcoming fixtures

South Africa recently lost Rob Walter as their white-ball head coach. Shukri Conrad, the current Test coach, is now the frontrunner to take over the white-ball responsibilities as well. Klaasen retired from Tests during Conrad’s tenure after a selection back-and-forth involving Kyle Verreynne.

South Africa’s next international assignment will be the WTC final in June. They will then embark on a busy overseas schedule featuring Tests and a T20I series in Zimbabwe, limited-overs matches in Australia and England, a Test tour to Pakistan, and an all-format tour of India to close out 2025.

South Africa Men’s Central Contracts List 2025-26

Player	Role
Temba Bavuma	Batter, Test & ODI Captain
David Bedingham	Batter
Nandre Burger	Fast Bowler
Gerald Coetzee	Fast Bowler
Tony de Zorzi	Batter
Reeza Hendricks	Batter
Marco Jansen	Allrounder
Keshav Maharaj	Spinner
Kwena Maphaka	Fast Bowler
Aiden Markram	Batter, T20I Captain
Wiaan Mulder	Allrounder
Senuran Muthusamy	Allrounder
Lungi Ngidi	Fast Bowler
Kagiso Rabada	Fast Bowler
Ryan Rickelton	Batter-Wicketkeeper
Tristan Stubbs	Batter
Kyle Verreynne	Batter-Wicketkeeper
Lizaad Williams	Fast Bowler