The Prague Post - Bavuma out of Test series as De Kock back for white-ball games

Cricket South Africa announced on Monday that a calf injury will prevent Bavuma, who led the Proteas to the World Test championship at Lord's in London in June, from playing the first series in defence of their title.

Aiden Markram will captain the team in the two-Test series which starts in Lahore on October 12.

Selection convener Patrick Moroney said Bavuma's calf strain, suffered in a recent one-day series in England, would keep him out of action for six to eight weeks.

"The focus is on giving him the best chance to be fully ready for a tour of India in November," said Moroney.

South Africa will also be without leading spin bowler Keshav Maharaj for the first Test but it is hoped he will have recovered from a groin strain in time to play in the second Test, which starts in Rawalpindi on October 20.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer has been recalled to the Test squad for the first time in two years. Prenelan Subrayen, recently cleared after being reported for a suspect bowling action, and left-armer Senuran Muthusamy are the other spinners in the squad.

The Test series will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals.

Wicketkeeper-batsman De Kock, 32, was selected for both white-ball series. He retired from one-day internationals in 2023 and has not played in the T20 team since he was South Africa's leading run-scorer in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.

His return is a signal that he is likely to be a part of South Africa's campaign for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year.

"Quinton's return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us," said head coach Shukri Conrad. "When we spoke last month about his future it was clear that he still has a strong ambition to represent his country."

Most of the all-format players in the Test squad will be rested for the white-ball games. Veteran David Miller will captain the T20 team and Matthew Breetzke will lead the one-day side for the first time.

Big-hitting Donovan Ferreira will captain South Africa in a one-off T20 international against Namibia in Windhoek on October 11.

Squads

Tests: Aiden Markram (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickleton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne (wkt)

T20Is: David Miller (captain), Bosch, Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams

ODIs: Matthew Breetzke (captain), Bosch, Brevis, Burger, Coetzee, De Kock (wkt), De Zorzi, Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Linde, Maphaka, Ngidi, Peter, Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile (wkt)

T20I v Namibia: Ferreira (captain), Burger, Coetzee, De Kock (wkt), Fortuin, Hendricks, Rubin Hermann, Maphaka, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Peter, Pretorius, Simelane, Jason Smith, Williams

Pakistan fixtures:

October 12-16, first Test, Lahore

October 20-24, second Test, Rawalpindi

October 28, first T20 international, Rawalpindi

October 31, second T20 international, Lahore

November 1, third T20 international, Lahore

November 4, first one-day international, Faisalabad

November 6, second one-day international, Faisalabad

November 8, third one-day international, Faisalabad

F.Vit--TPP