South Africa announce Test squad for this tour in preparation for WTC final vs Australia, CSK star makes the cut

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced their 16-member squad on Friday, June 6 for the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. The Test series against Zimbabwe will serve as a perfect dress rehearsal for South Africa ahead of the all-important ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final , where they will face Australia at Lord's for the coveted title.

Immediately after the conclusion of the WTC Final 2025, the South African squad will travel to Zimbabwe for the two-Test series. The first match is scheduled to begin on June 28th at the Queen's Sports Club Cricket Ground in Bulawayo, with the second and final Test starting at the same venue on July 6.

For this Zimbabwe tour, CSA has opted to rest six players who were part of their squad for the WTC Final 2025. These players include Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada. Additionally, there is a strong possibility that Dane Paterson might announce his retirement following the WTC Final at Lord's, which explains his absence from the squad selected for Zimbabwe.

Despite the absence of some key players, CSA has named an exciting squad for the Zimbabwe tour, featuring five uncapped players. A notable inclusion is the 19-year-old batting prodigy, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who has earned his place in the squad after a series of impressive performances and is in line to make his international debut during this tour.

Along with Lhuan-dre Pretorius, several other players are also in contention to receive their first Test caps for South Africa during the tour of Zimbabwe. These include Dewald Brevis, Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf, and Prenelan Subrayen, highlighting South Africa's focus on building a strong foundation for the future. Notably, Pretorius has made a significant impact in his limited first-class career, having already scored three centuries in his initial five matches.

Dewald Brevis, who was previously part of the Proteas Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh last year but did not get an opportunity to debut, has been presented with another chance to earn his first Test cap. His selection is well-deserved, as he was the second-highest run-scorer in the recent domestic first-class season, accumulating 573 runs in 12 innings. His consistent performance, which included two centuries and two half-centuries, played a crucial role in his Test call-up.

However, South Africa will be without the services of three fast bowlers, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams, for the upcoming Test series in Zimbabwe due to injuries. According to reports, Coetzee is currently managing a groin issue, Burger is recovering from a back problem, and Williams is in the final stages of rehabilitation following knee surgery. While Burger has been cleared to participate in T20 internationals, his return to red-ball cricket will be gradual. Coetzee's recovery plan is specifically designed to ensure his long-term fitness for future Test matches. In their absence, the pace attack for the Zimbabwe tour will be spearheaded by Kwena Maphaka, who will partner with Lungi Ngidi. Interestingly, there was no mention of Anrich Nortje in the squad announcement.

South Africa's Test squad for 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, and Codi Yusuf