Pieter Malan

A hard-hitting opener, Pieter Malan is a South African-born professional cricketer who made his first-class debut in 2007. While he can bat anywhere in the top six, he has forged a fantastic record at the top of the order in the domestic setup and stockpiling over 10000 runs at an average nearing up to 50.

Having made his debut for the Northerns in 2007, Malan’s consistency has been the hallmark till now. Coming from a family of cricket, his first national call-up came when he was included in the squad for the third Test against Pakistan, as a potential replacement for an injured Markram but didn’t play.

The Nelspruit-born all-rounder made his Test debut against England on January 3rd, 2020, and scored an exceptional 84 in the second innings. After being sidelined from the squad with the completion of his debut Test series, Malan decided to ply his trade in the County Championship. He signed a one-year deal with Warwickshire as an overseas player for their red-ball campaign.

The 31-year old has been widely discussed as an international prospect but has failed to light up the international arena just like the domestic circuit. He has been on the sidelines of selections so far, having made into various A squads. However, the potential international selection seems contentious as Malan’s inclusion will certainly mean that the home team will fall short of the transformation quota for players of colour.

(As of July 2021)