SL vs SA: South Africa announce squad for Test series against Sri Lanka

Bavuma, who has not played since October 4, when he sustained the injury during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi, will lead the side

PHOTO: AFP

South Africa have named their squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with Temba Bavuma making his return to the team after recovering from an elbow injury. Bavuma, who has not played since October 4, when he sustained the injury during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi, will lead the side in what is a crucial series for South Africa’s push for a spot in the 2024 World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Bavuma, who missed South Africa’s opening two first-class fixtures, is expected to play a key role in the series. However, he won’t feature in the third first-class match for the Lions against Western Province, as the Proteas will hold a two-day camp in Pretoria before traveling to Durban for the series opener. The first Test will take place at Kingsmead from November 27 to December 1.

Also making a return to the squad are fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. Rabada was rested for the T20I series against India, while Jansen, along with Gerald Coetzee, comes back to the Test fold after conditioning breaks. Both Jansen and Coetzee last played in Tests in 2023, against India.

Unfortunately, Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger are absent due to injuries, while Keegan Petersen and Zubayr Hamza miss out on selection. South Africa’s squad has been trimmed to 14 players, one less than usual, to give those on the periphery a chance to play in first-class cricket for their respective provincial teams.

The squad also includes notable players such as Aiden Markram, Keshav Maharaj, and Ryan Rickelton, with new inclusions in the form of Dane Paterson and Senuran Muthusamy. If South Africa wins both Tests against Sri Lanka, as well as the home series against Pakistan in December and January, they will secure a place in the WTC final at Lord’s in June.

South Africa Test Squad:

Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.