Dewald Brevis included in latest intake of Cricket SA academy players

South African teen batting sensation Dewald Brevis is part of Cricket South Africa's (CSA) plans, having been included in a National Academy squad announced on Tuesday.

CSA revealed the men's and women's squads for 2023.

The National Academy is run annually and forms an important part of the CSA High-Performance pipeline as it prepares players for professional cricket at the highest level.

Players are selected in line with stringent performance criteria, including performing provincial players and previous graduates of the SA Under-19.

Esteemed provincial coach Malibongwe Maketa will guide the men's squad, which boasts several SA20 performers, including former SA U19 captain George van Heerden, Brevis, Matthew Boast, Liam Alder, Andile Simelane, Valentine Kitime, Caleb Seleka and Michael Copeland.

The women's academy team will be under the guidance of former Proteas women's batter Dinesha Devnarain, which includes SA U19 women's graduates and World Cup stars; Oluhle Siyo, Jenna Evans, Ayanda Hlubi, and Refilwe Moncho.

"The CSA National Men and Women's Academy programmes are an integral part of our cricket development pipeline," said CSA High-Performance Manager Vincent Barnes.

"It is significantly important in achieving our long-term strategy of not just producing professional players and strengthening the player base but also to produce future Proteas.

"The Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on our ability to roll out our High-Performance programmes as needed over the past three years, but I am looking forward to welcoming our exceptional cricket talent back to the CSA Centre of Excellence."

The men's programme will run from 1 May to the end of July 2023, while the women's programme will run from 1 June to the end of July