Migael Pretorius

A swing-bowling allrounder, who can bat in the top six, Migael Pretorius is an experienced player who came to prominence in his late 20s.

Raised in a sports-loving family in Vereeniging, south of Johannesburg, Pretorius started his cricket journey at Bakers' Mini-Cricket camps alongside his twin brother Kristiaan. From there he made it to the first team at Waterkloof High and then to the Northerns academy. He impressed in his first season, 2016-17, becoming the leading wicket-taker in the three-day first-class competition - the second tier of South Africa's domestic set up - with 42 wickets at under 18 each from ten matches. He could not make the first-tier Titans teams, though, and over the next six years moved to Lions, North West, and eventually Knights, where, under the mentorship of Allan Donald, he worked on his bowling variations.

Pretorius was named in South Africa's Test squad to play Sri Lanka in 2020, as extra cover during the pandemic, in a season where he was among the leading bowlers at domestic level. He finished among the top five leading wicket-takers in the 2020-21 first-class competition. He played for Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL in 2021 and 2022, though his returns in the first of those seasons (16 wickets) were rather more impressive than those in the second (six).

Pretorius was recalled to South Africa's Test squad against West Indies in August 2024, but again, didn't debut. By then he was a regular presence on the franchise circuit, his skiddy pace and lower-order hitting keeping him in demand. In addition to his CPL stints, he featured in the SA20, turning out for Pretoria Capitals, and gained further experience in English conditions with short-term deals, developing into one of South Africa's more seasoned domestic professionals.