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In a strategic move, ODI captain of South Africa Temba Bavuma and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada will be rested from the white-ball encounters against India to prioritize red-ball cricket preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series. Aiden Markram, leading the T20I side, will captain the ODI squad in Bavuma’s absence.
Expressing the team’s approach, limited-overs coach Rob Walter stated, “We have decided to omit several of our senior players as we emphasize the red-ball leg of the tour, meaning they will instead be preparing for the Test series by playing domestic cricket.”
Fast-bowlers Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi will miss the 3rd T20I and the ODI series against India, joining Bavuma and Rabada in participating in first-class matches for their domestic teams from December 14-17 as part of their Test series preparations.
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In this squad shuffle, batter of South Africa Tristan Stubbs earns his maiden Test call-up, and all-rounder Mihlali Mpongwana, batter David Bedingham, and fast-bowler Nandre Burger also make their debut in the Proteas set-up.
Test coach Shukri Conrad expressed excitement about the new additions, stating, “We have also added some new and exciting faces such as David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, and Tristan Stubbs, who make the Test squad for the first time.”
Wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne returns to both ODI and Test squads, while Ottniel Baartman and Wiaan Mulder make notable inclusions in the absence of key players.
Fast bowler Lizaad Williams, who suffered a groin strain, will undergo further assessments to determine the extent of the injury. Notably, Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell are still in rehabilitation for injuries, ruling them out of selection.
-IANS
