Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 16 : South African vice-captain Jacques Kallis, who was omitted from the first Twenty20 World Cup on home soil nearly two years ago, may be a shock inclusion in the South African squad for the second Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England in June.

There are now strong rumours that he may make the Proteas’ squad of 15 for the tournament in England, reports the Die Burger newspaper.

In the past 24 months, Kallis has played in only two of the Proteas’ 14 Twenty20 games and in the past year he was only involved in one of South Africa’s six Twenty20 games.

He was controversially omitted from the South African squad in 2007. It was said then that Kallis’s strengths were not suited to the abbreviated game. The Proteas brains trust also wanted to extend Kallis’s career by omitting him from certain series’.

Kallis did play for the Proteas against Australia in Melbourne in January. However, that was only his fourth Twenty20 game since 2005.

Now he is being spoken of as a possible inclusion as one of the additional batsmen in the squad.

It is believed Kallis’s exceptional batting technique may be a priceless asset on lively pitches.

Kallis and bowlers such as Makhaya Ntini and Morné Morkel, who are not currently in the Proteas’ Twenty20 plans, will get an opportunity to impress the national selectors in the Indian Premier League (IPL). (ANI)