All-rounder Donovan Ferreira can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee in Proteas T20 side

Despite senior players David Miller and Marco Jansen set to return to international cricket after missing the tour of Australia, it is Donovan Ferreira’s recall that stands out as perhaps the most exciting.

South Africa arrived in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, exactly a week before the first match of the tour — the first of three One Day Internationals against England — before the focus shifts to a three-match T20I series.

While the Temba Bavuma-led ODI squad is on its own mission, building towards the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup (to be hosted in South Africa), it’s the T20I squad that takes precedence for now, with the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India looming much closer.

The management continues its search for the right group of players to take to India for the global showpiece.

Already, the coach has made notable changes to the squad for the upcoming series against England. Spinners George Linde and Nqaba Peter — previously communicated as part of the core three in the shortest format — have been omitted.

Instead, the selectors have opted to include Ferreira’s part-time off-spin, alongside Keshav Maharaj, who, prior to his Player of the Series performance in the ODIs Down Under, was not in the immediate T20I plans. That showing appears to have reminded selectors that Maharaj remains the country’s most reliable spinner — not just in Tests, but across formats.

Ferreira’s bowling offers depth, but it is his red-hot form with the bat that warrants inclusion. The 27-year-old right-hander has been lighting up The Hundred competition in the UK, where he has faced just 69 deliveries across six innings and blasted 17 sixes and 10 fours, tallying 169 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 245.

This purple patch underlines Ferreira’s evolution into a dependable middle-order finisher — a role he has steadily refined over the years.

Expected to bat at No. 6 in the T20I series against England, Ferreira is likely to float up or down the order depending on the match situation.

His inclusion adds further firepower to an already explosive middle order featuring Dewald Brevis, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs, with Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton expected to open.

The management has also added Lizaad Williams to the T20I squad — his first call-up in nearly a year after an injury layoff. With Nandre Burger left out following a challenging tour of Australia, the Proteas will be hoping Williams hits the ground running.

South Africa’s three-match T20I series against England is set to begin on Wednesday, September 10.