With South Africa set to lock horns in a high-profile ODI series at home against Australia, a year away from the ODI World Cup 2027, they have named a full-strength squad for the same.
While Temba Bavuma has returned to lead the hosts, Kagiso Rabada remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from the hamstring injury. Although David Miller and Quinton de Kock don’t hold a central contract currently, they are included in the squad to take on the Men in Yellow.
“We have a clear idea of the combinations we want and the roles we need players to fulfill” – South Africa coach Shukri Conrad
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will miss the series as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. In his absence, Gerald Coetzee has been recalled to the ODI squad. Coetzee is set to play his first ODI for South Africa since the 2023 World Cup. The pacer has struggled with a series of injuries over the last three years but recently returned to action, playing for South Africa A against the England Lions in June and Bangladesh A. Incidentally, Coetzee’s most recent one-day international was the nail-biting 2023 World Cup semi-final against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
“It’s great to see Gerald back in the fold and, by all accounts, he’s been bowling nice and quickly. With the World Cup just over a year away, this series marks an important step in shaping the squad as we build towards the tournament, while also giving those players who are in the frame opportunities when we face Bangladesh and England later in the season. We have a clear idea of the combinations we want and the roles we need players to fulfill. From a batting perspective, we’ve looked at making sure we have a middle order that can be explosive but have the ability to absorb pressure and take the innings quite deep. That balance is going to be important for us,” the South Africa head coach added, as quoted by Cricinfo.
South Africa’s ODI squad to face Australia
Temba Bavuma (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs.
The series begins on September 24 at the Kingsmead in Durban, with the subsequent matches set for 27th in Johannesburg and 30th in Potchefstroom. The Aussies will also visit Zimbabwe for three ODIs before heading to South Africa.