George Linde, a left-arm spin bowling allrounder, will join South Africa as a traveling reserve for the Champions Trophy, providing cover for Aiden Markram, who injured his right hamstring against England. Markram will undergo a fitness test to assess his availability for the semi-final against New Zealand. Linde’s inclusion aims to bolster spin options if South Africa faces India in a potential final. The team already has Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi as specialist spinners. Additionally, fast bowler Kwena Maphaka is with the squad as a reserve, while Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi have recovered from illness.
Markram adds to a growing list of injured players. Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams have all been ruled out prior to the start of the tournament.
Linde is expected to join the South African camp on Tuesday evening; however, he will not officially replace Markram in the squad unless Markram is deemed unavailable and the ICC’s event technical committee approves the change. It appears that South Africa has included him in the group as a precaution in case they advance to a final in Dubai against India, where drier conditions may warrant an additional spinner. The squad currently features two specialist spinners: Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, but only Maharaj has seen action in Pakistan. India utilized four spinners in their latest match against New Zealand in Dubai.
In the 2025 SA20, Linde was instrumental in MI Cape Town securing their first championship. Over 11 matches, he scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 153.33 and took 11 wickets with an economy rate of 6.29. More recently, he played for Western Province in the One-Day Challenge Division One, where he amassed 106 runs and claimed four wickets in five appearances.