Cape Town - Proteas head coach, Russell Domingo, is excited to usher in the next generation of international cricketers in the upcoming T20 International series against Sri Lanka.

The Proteas' squad boasts six new caps in Jon-Jon Smuts, Theunis de Bruyn, Mangaliso Mosehle, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson and Lungi Ngidi, players who have been rewarded for consistent performances in the domestic T20 Challenge.

The series will be an opportunity for Domingo and the selectors to have a look at the depth of their resources, and more importantly, unearth new talents on the international stage.

Although the date for the next ICC World T20 has yet to be officially confirmed, the youngsters in the new-look squad will still see it as an opportunity to make their mark for further international honours with one eye on the next tournament.

Farhaan Behardien will make his captaincy debut as stand-in captain for the first two matches, and will gain valuable leadership qualities which will no doubt add value to the strong senior-player group in the Proteas environment.

"I'm excited by the group of players that I'm going to be working with," Domingo said.

"I'm not going to be seeing Faf, JP, Hashim, AB, KG, there are going to be 13 completely new players who will be so hungry and desperate to make an impression on South African cricket, that is exciting for us (coaches).

"I've told our coaches that we have to have our 'A' game because it will be like the first day of school for a lot of these players. They are so desperate to play for their country and it's exciting for me to get to work with those type of new players."

The first T20 match of the series will take place at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday, January 20.

Source: News24