Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s Test captain, has fully recovered from an elbow injury and is set to lead the team in their upcoming two-Test home series against Sri Lanka. The 14-man squad includes all-rounder Marco Jansen and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, both of whom recently returned to international action during the T20I series against India. This will mark their first Test appearances since the previous summer.
Bavuma’s presence strengthens a relatively inexperienced batting unit, which recently saw three players score maiden centuries during the series against Bangladesh. The team remains firmly in the hunt for a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. To secure their place at Lord’s next year, South Africa must win all four of their remaining Tests at home—two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. A three-win campaign could still suffice, depending on the outcomes of other matches in the competition.
Speaking after the announcement, South Africa coach Shukri Conrad claimed that Bavuma is excited to return to the team as he hasn’t played Test cricket in a while.
“He’s excited,” Conrad said. “He’s like a little kid in a toy shop at the moment because he hasn’t played Test cricket in a while.”
Speaking about their chances of making it to the WTC Final, Conrad said that the table is going to be a topsy-turvy one over the next couple of months with the top 5 teams still very much in contention for sealing a spot in the final in England in 2025
“That table is going to be quite a topsy-turvy one over the next couple of months,” Conrad said. “We all understand the magnitude of it. We also understand that we’ve got to play really good cricket in order for us to achieve the goal. I think we’re going to run into a very confident Sri Lanka side.”
The two-match Test series kicks off in Durban on November 27, followed by the second Test in Gqeberha, starting on December 5.
South Africa squad for Sri Lanka Tests
Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne
