Kagiso Rabada Included as Proteas Prepare for WTC Test Series
South Africa have announced a preliminary 18-member squad for the first Test of their upcoming home series against Australia. The opening Test is scheduled to begin on October 9 at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban, with both teams preparing for an important ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 assignment.
Captain Temba Bavuma will lead the Proteas, with several established names included in the squad. Aiden Markram, David Bedingham, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs are among the players selected for the opening Test.
One of the major talking points is the inclusion of Kagiso Rabada, who is currently recovering from a right hamstring injury. South Africa’s selectors have kept him in the preliminary group and will assess his fitness during a two-day intra-squad match before the Test.
Fast bowler Anrich Nortje also returns to the Test setup. Nortje has not played Test cricket for South Africa since 2023, but his return adds experience to a pace attack that has been affected by injuries. Gerald Coetzee and Dane Paterson are also back in the Test group.
The squad includes one uncapped player in Marques Ackerman, who has earned his maiden Test call-up after a strong run with South Africa A. Cricket South Africa reported that the 30-year-old has scored more than 1,000 runs in his last 10 red-ball appearances for South Africa A, including four centuries and a career-best 256.
South Africa will be without several injured seamers, including Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman, who were not considered because of their respective hamstring problems. The selectors will therefore have to assess the available bowling options carefully before finalising the playing XI.
The first Test will be followed by matches in Gqeberha and Cape Town. The series carries additional significance because both teams are competing in the current World Test Championship cycle, making the upcoming fixtures an important part of their respective campaigns.
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