MELBOURNE: Injury-prone all-rounder Shane Watson has been named in Australia’s 13-man squad for Twenty20 matches against South Africa next month as he recovers from a calf strain.

Also named in the team was uncapped wicket-keeper Ben Dunk two days after hitting an unbeaten 229 to set a domestic one-day record for his Tasmanian state side.

Dunk, 27, was one of the top players in the Twenty20 Big Bash League last season. Number one wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will be among those still in the United Arab Emirates on Test duty against Pakistan when the three-match T20 series against South Africa starts from Nov 5.

Watson was forced out of Australia’s recent tours to Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with ankle and calf problems that resulted from him stepping on a ball at training. In his absence won a one-off T20 match against Pakistan and swept them 3-0 in a one-day series.

“Shane Watson also returns from injury and we certainly know the destruction he is capable of causing in this format of the game,” selector Rod Marsh said in a statement upon the release of the squad on Monday.

New captain Aaron Finch will lead the squad.

Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Cameron Boyce, Patrick Cummins, Ben Cutting, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Reardon, Kane Richardson, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Published in Dawn, October 21st , 2014