Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has named five uncapped players in a 16-man squad for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo from 28 June to 10 July.
Among the new faces are Northerns Titans batting duo Lhuan-dré Pretorius and Lesego Senokwane, both of whom have received their maiden call-ups to the national setup. They are joined in the squad by another first-timer in Central Gauteng Lions fast bowler Codi Yusuf.
At just 19, Pretorius enjoyed a breakout season in the 4-Day Series. He struck three hundreds in five first-class games at an impressive average of 72.66, including a crucial 114 in the final that helped secure a hard-fought draw for the Titans against the Lions.
Senokwane also impressed with the bat, amassing 559 runs with two centuries to his name. Both players also recently made their South Africa A debuts against West Indies A.
Yusuf, meanwhile, has been a standout performer for the Lions. The right-arm seamer claimed 23 wickets at an average of 22.39, playing a pivotal role in guiding his side to a second successive appearance in the 4-Day Series final.
The other uncapped players in the list are Titans batsman Dewald Brevis, the second-highest run-scorer in the domestic first-class competition this past season, and KZN Dolphins off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, though both have previously toured with the senior side.
Earlier this week, Subrayen’s form was on full display in SA A’s four-day win over West Indies A, where he delivered with both bat and ball, scoring an unbeaten half-century and picking up a five-fer.
The squad also sees the recall of Lions batsman Zubayr Hamza, marking his return since his last appearance against New Zealand in February last year.
Several players – Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs – have been rested for the series.
“We’ve opted to rest some players to manage their workload ahead of a busy season,” said Conrad. “We’ve been closely monitoring performances in domestic cricket, and it’s great to see players like Lhuan-dré, Lesego, and Codi breaking through.
“Dewald deserves a lot of credit for how he has progressed over the past 12 months,” added Conrad. “He’s shown real growth and maturity in the longer format, and it’s encouraging to see him evolving into a more complete cricketer.
“Prenelan has earned his spot through consistent performances and offers us a lot with his all-round skills.
“This tour provides the ideal platform to expose them to the demands of Test cricket and see how they respond. It’s also our first tour to Zimbabwe since 2014, so we’re really looking forward to heading over there later this month.”
Fast bowling trio Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams were not considered for selection.
“Nandre has been given the all-clear by the medical team to play T20s,” said Conrad. “The plan is to ease him back into the game, starting with the shortest format, and then slowly work him up to the longer formats. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how he handles the workload as he builds toward playing Test cricket again.”
“With Gerald, it’s part of a bigger plan to help him better handle the physical demands of red-ball cricket. The idea is to give him the best chance to avoid a recurrence of the injuries that have kept him out of Test cricket since the tour against Sri Lanka.
“His recent performances in T20s have been really encouraging, but the focus is on his long-term growth and ensuring he stays fit across all formats.
“Lizaad is progressing well and is currently in the final phase of his rehabilitation from his knee surgery.”
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Proteas Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c, Lions), David Bedingham (WP), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Corbin Bosch (Titans), Tony de Zorzi (WP), Zubayr Hamza (Lions), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Kwena Maphaka (Lions), Wiaan Mulder (Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Titans), Lesego Senokwane (Titans), Prenelan Subrayen (Dolphins), Kyle Verreynne (WP), Codi Yusuf (Lions).
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
