Durban: Hosts South Africa named a provisional squad of 20 players for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament to be held from September 22 to October 5.

Cricket South Africa selection committee convenor Mike Proctor said the squad would be trimmed to the final 15 prior to the start of the tournament.

The squad comprises 15 players who participated in the World Twenty20 in England, apart from Hashim Amla, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Vaughn van Jaarsveld.

"It is a very good squad and it will be quite difficult to reduce it to the final 15," said Procter.

"The news on Graeme Smith's elbow surgery is extremely positive at this stage while Lonwabo Tsotsobe has made a good recovery from the knee surgery he had earlier in the year. We will be able to monitor his form as well as that of Vaughn van Jaarsveld on the Emerging Tour of Australia later this month.

"Hashim Amla, Herschelle Gibbs and Wayne Parnell are all playing county cricket at present but will return home in good time to prepare for the tournament," he said.

Squad:

Graeme Smith (c), Johan Botha (vc), Yusuf Abdulla, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robbie Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe, and Vaughn van Jaarsveld.