SA vs AUS, 2nd Test: Cricket South Africa (CSA) have made one change to the squad for the second Test from the first that ended up on the losing side against Australia at the Kingsmead in Durban.
The 17-member squad named on October 15, Thursday, finds itself without Tristan Stubbs, with Matthew Breetzke recalled. Additionally, Kyle Verreynne will not take the gloves for the second Test at the St. George’s Park in Gqeberha.
SA vs AUS, 2nd Test: Who will serve as the wicketkeeper for South Africa in Gqeberha?
Ryan Rickelton will take the gloves for the second Test, while Verreynne could be benched for the must-win fixture. Nevertheless, both Rickelton and Verreynne flopped in the series-opener in Durban that saw the Proteas go down by 214 runs, conceding a 1-0 series lead. Meanwhile, Stubbs has been replaced by Breetzke, who has played two Tests, the last of which came in 2025 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Coach Shukri Conrad stated, as quoted by SA Cric Mag:
“Matt’s obviously been part of the squad before, where he played the one Test match in Bangladesh and had another go in Zimbabwe. More importantly, the attitude and the character that Matt brings and has, I think that will go a long way.”
Tony de Zorzi has not been considered for selection as he continues his recovery from a left hamstring injury.
SA vs AUS, 2nd Test: Rain to dictate South Africa’s team selection? Shukri Conrad answers
With rain forecasted on first two days of the Test in Gqeberha, Conrad suggested that it could be a decisive factor in the team selection as he claimed:
“We’ll obviously have a look at what the conditions are like. The weather, the forecast isn’t great for day one. So, a few things to consider before we look at that final XI.”
South Africa Squad for 2nd Test: Temba Bavuma (captain), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.
While the hosts are set to welcome Kagiso Rabada back into the XI, its the batting performance that need to drastically improve after failing in Durban.