Table of Contents
ToggleCurrently, South Africa stands in the sixth position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table, with three defeats, two victories over West Indies and India, along with one drawn result in the Caribbean. They are due to face Bangladesh away in a two-match Test series, which was under a little bit of cloud.
Due to the disturbing political situation in the country, Cricket South Africa (CSA) wasn’t fully prepared to show the green light to the series, as they sent their team to get a detailed view of the visiting place. But in the end, they gave the tour a go-ahead on Monday (September 30) after meeting the required security assessment of Dhaka and Chattogram, the venues for the two games.
The Proteas have recalled their left-arm spin all-rounder, Senuran Muthusamy, whose last red-ball clash came last year against the West Indies in Centurion. In three Test matches, he has smashed 105 runs at an average of 26.25 with a best score of unbeaten 49 runs, besides picking up two wickets in four innings.
South Africa picks three spinners for Bangladesh Tests; Kagiso Rabada returns
Along with the return of the Durban-born, the Rainbow Nation has backed their two other spinners of the side, Dane Piedt and Keshav Maharaj, who will have huge responsibilities on their shoulders as their red-ball head coach Shukri Conrad has addressed the conditions besides this selection.
Also Read: Musheer Khan And His Father React After Horrible Accident
“I want to firstly thank both boards, Cricket South Africa and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, for ensuring the series goes ahead. Bangladesh is always a tough place to tour.” The red-ball coach of South Africa expressed in a statement.
“They’ve become a formidable side at home, and we have to be prepared for the challenge that awaits us. We have, therefore, chosen a squad for the conditions we are expecting to greet us when we get there.” The veteran mentioned.
The only uncapped player of the 15-member squad is Matthew Breetzke, the wicket-keeper batter who has drilled 3255 runs in 53 first-class games at an average of under 38 and a strike rate of around 48, with the help of eight centuries and 14 half-centuries thanks to the best score of 188.
“We have three frontline spinners, and all of them can step up at any time they are needed. This is a great chance for someone like Senuran, who has the potential to make a mark with both bat and ball.” The red-ball coach of the South Africa side highlighted. “We are looking forward to seeing what he can offer. Overall, we trust the depth and versatility in our squad to meet this challenge head-on.”
In the pace-bowling department, they have four options, in the form of Kagiso Rabada, the leader of the pack, along with Nandre Burger, Dane Paterson, and the all-rounder Wiaan Mulder.
Their other pacer, Lungi Ngidi, has been dropped from the side after concerns about his fitness, as the team has been trying their best to manage the workload of the veteran pacer. Anrich Nortje, whose last red-ball game was towards the start of 2023, hasn’t been considered as South Africa gave a break to Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee.
Also Read: Green Park Stadium Pitch Curator Accuses Officials For Washout On Day 3 In India vs Bangladesh
The last trip for the South African side to Bangladesh came in 2015, where both the game in Chattogram and Mirpur ended in drawn results.
Test Squad of South Africa For 2 Tests vs Bangladesh
Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Kyle Verreynne (wk)