South Africa name squad for Zimbabwe Test

The two-match series will begin in Bulawayo this month

DUBAI:

South Africa have unveiled their squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Zimbabwe, set to begin later this month in Bulawayo.

The squad features five uncapped players, with 19-year-old batting sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius headlining the selection following his breakout performances in domestic cricket.

Joining Pretorius in line for a potential Test debut are Dewald Brevis, Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf, and Prenelan Subrayen.

The series does not fall under the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27, as Zimbabwe are not part of the current cycle.

It will instead serve as a developmental opportunity for head coach Shukri Conrad to test new talent and build squad depth ahead of the 2025–2027 WTC cycle.

With the future in mind, senior players such as Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada have been rested. Veteran seamer Dane Paterson, who is not part of the squad, is also reportedly considering retirement following the recent Lord's Test.

Pretorius has made an immediate impact in first-class cricket, scoring three centuries in his first five matches, including one in the domestic red-ball final. He currently averages an impressive 65.57.

Brevis, who was part of the squad that toured Bangladesh last year but did not get a game, has earned his call-up through consistent domestic performances.

He finished second in the run charts of the first-class season with 573 runs in 12 innings at an average of 47.75, including two centuries and two half-centuries.

Brevis initially rose to prominence as the leading run-scorer in the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Kwena Maphaka, who made his debut earlier this year against Pakistan, will lead the pace attack alongside Lungi Ngidi.

"Nandre has been cleared to play T20s. We'll reintroduce him gradually, starting with the shortest format, before "Nandre has been given the all-clear by the medical team to play T20s. The plan is to ease him back into the game, starting with the shortest format, and then slowly work him up to the longer formats," Conrad said. "We'll be keeping a close eye on how he handles the workload as he builds toward playing Test cricket again. "Lizaad is progressing well and is currently in the final phase of his rehabilitation from his knee surgery."

Notably absent is Anrich Nortje, who was set to feature in the previous summer's Tests but declined a central contract. Nortje has not played international cricket since the 2024 T20 World Cup final and has only appeared in two IPL matches since then, having dealt with multiple injuries, including a broken toe.

South Africa Test Squad for Zimbabwe Series: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.