South Africa men's red-ball coach Shukri Conrad announced the 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies starting August 7 in Trinidad. Temba Bavuma has returned to lead the Proteas Test side after missing the second game against India earlier this year in January. Most of the first-choice squad is back after skipping the New Zealand series owing to SA20 commitments with three players retained from the second-string side that played against the BlackCaps.
David Bedingham, who has been in smashing form in the County Championship, has retained his spot while 35-year-old pacer Dane Paterson and off-spinner Dane Piedt too have kept their places. Opening batter Matthew Breetzke has earned his maiden Test call-up following his exploits in the domestic four-day competition that saw him score 322 runs at an average of 46. Breetzke is probably Dean Elgar's replacement as a backup batter in the squad while Tristan Stubbs has also been retained in the red-ball side.
Among the omissions, Marco Jansen has been rested for the series looking at his workload and since Anrich Nortje has opted out of central contract to focus on T20Is, South Africa had to retain Paterson as the extra pace bowling option with the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee.
"We have one new face in the squad, Matthew Breetzke, who is selected on the back of an excellent past season. The decision to rest Marco Jansen was taken to allow for a conditioning period aimed at ensuring optimal physical and mental well-being given the season-long workloads," Conrad said in a CSA statement on X (formerly Twitter.)
The rest of the line-up remains more or likely the same with Ryan Rickelton returning to the squad as the second wicketkeeper while Keegan Petersen has missed out.
South Africa squad for two West Indies Tests: Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne
