Ahead of the next World Test Championship cycle (2025-27), South Africa has announced a 16-man squad for their forthcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe, which will be played in Bulawayo from June 28 to July 10. The roster has five uncapped players, including 19-year-old hitter Lhuan-dré Pretorius.
The series, which is not part of the World Test Championship, promises to be an excellent platform for innovation and talent development. Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s head coach, has utilised the opportunity to bring in new talent while resting several experienced players, including Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, and Tristan Stubbs.
Pretorius, who rose through the ranks following strong domestic cricket performances, is poised to make his debut in whites for the Rainbow Nation. The teenager scored three centuries in just five first-class matches for the Titans, including a match-saving 114 in the final, and has an average of over 65.00 in the red-ball format.
Joining him are Lesego Senokwane, a Titans hitter who scored 559 runs in the domestic season, and Lions’ right-arm seamer Codi Yusuf, who claimed 23 wickets at 22.39. Dewald Brevis and Prenelan Subrayen are also included, and they are set to make their Test debuts.
“Dewald deserves a lot of credit for the progress he’s made over the last year. He’s demonstrated significant progress and maturity in the longer format, and it’s encouraging to see him develop into a more complete player,” Conrad said in a CSA statement.
Meanwhile, Subrayen’s recent performance for South Africa A saw him score an important half-century and take five wickets in a four-day match against West Indies A. On the other hand, Gerald Coetzee is being managed for long-term red-ball fitness, Nandre Burger is recovering after a back injury with T20 cricket, and Lizaad Williams is in the final phase of recovery from knee surgery, and are all set to miss the tour.
Test skipper Temba Bavuma will lead a young squad in Zimbabwe, with Lungi Ngidi and Zubayr Hamza also named in the mix. The team will depart for Zimbabwe on June 24, with the first Test scheduled from June 28 to July 2 and the second from July 6 to 10, both at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
South Africa squad for Test series against Zimbabwe
Temba Bavuma, 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
India
