Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Heinrich Klaasen's Proteas' future is uncertain after he was not named in the CSA contracted players' list. Picture: Noah Seelam/ AFP
Image: Noah Seelam/ AFP
Heinrich Klaasen was the major omission on the Cricket SA contracted players list announced on Monday.
Klaasen is arguably the most sought after white-ball batter in the world currently, with the explosive right-hander currently on a close to R50 million contract with Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The 33-year-old is also contracted to Durban’s Super Giants in the Betway SA20 and Seattle Orcas at Major League Cricket in the United States.
Cricket SA said in a statement on Monday that “discussions regarding Heinrich Klaasen’s future are ongoing, and a final decision will be made in due course.”
The global cricket landscape has drastically changed over the last couple of years with leading New Zealand players such as Kane Williamson and Trent Boult turning down national contracts to pursue opportunities in T20 Leagues around the world while remaining available to the Black Caps.
Leading Australian white-ball players such as Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye have also recently dropped off Cricket Australia’s contracted players list.
Last season, the Proteas had already seen wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and fast bowler Anrich Nortje opt out of their national contracts. They were not included on the 18-player list for the new 2025/26 season.
However, Cricket SA have broken new ground by offering both David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen “hybrid contracts” that will see the veteran duo participate in specific agreed-upon bilateral tours and ICC events.
“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,” said Director of National Teams and High Performance Enoch Nkwe.
Teenage pace sensation Kwena Maphaka, who made his debut across international formats last season, has earned his first national contract along with Warriors allrounder Senuran Muthusamy and Titans seam bowler Lizaad Williams.
Lions all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, Western Province batter David Bedingham, and his provincial captain Kyle Verreynne all earned contract upgrades during the current season and have been retained for the upcoming season.
The contracts will cover a busy season for the national team with bilateral tours away to Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Pakistan and India, as well as a home series against the West Indies.
The calendar will also feature two major ICC events: the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia, which will take place at Lord’s in England in June, and the T20 World Cup 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka early next year.
“All of these players have been contracted with the importance of the next World Test Championship cycle and the 2027 Cricket World Cup on home soil in mind,” Nkwe said.
"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. We wish all the contracted players the very best for the year ahead.”
Proteas Men’s Contracted Squad 2025/26
Temba Bavuma (Lions), David Bedingham (Western Province), Nandre Burger (Western Province), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Tony de Zorzi (Western Province), Reeza Hendricks (Lions), Marco Jansen (North West Dragons), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Kwena Maphaka (Lions), Aiden Markram (Titans), Wiaan Mulder (Lions), Senuran Muthusamy (Warriors), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Kyle Verreynne (Western Province), and Lizaad Williams (Titans).
Hybrid Contracts 2025/26
David Miller (Dolphins) and Rassie van der Dussen (Lions).