Nortje set for Test return, Rabada’s availability uncertain

In the upcoming series between South Africa and Australia, Anrich Nortjé could make his Test debut for the first time since March 2023. However, Kagiso Rabada's involvement is still unknown. On Monday, both were included in a preliminary squad of 18 players. The group will meet in Durban on October 1 and begin the series on October 9.

Shukri Conrad was quoted as saying in a CSA release, "We’ll have a couple of training days, a two-day intra-squad match, and scenario-based training, which will give us an opportunity to assess the group and conditions before settling on our final 15."

That the finished article will look different is implied in the fact that seven of the 18 - more than a third - are fast bowlers. As a result of Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka, Ottneil Baartman, and Lutho Sipamla all suffering from hamstring injuries, this is the case.

The preliminary team includes Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, whose last Test was in November 2024, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, and Dane Paterson, in addition to Rabada and Nortjé.

According to a report, Conrad stated, "Having a larger bowling group gives us the flexibility to cover all bases." “The next week will give us an opportunity to determine which combinations are best suited to the conditions. We have different options across the squad."

Whatever those conditions Rabada would be among the first names on Conrad’s XI sheet. Not this time. According to a report, Conrad stated, "We want to give Kagiso every chance of being available for selection for the first Test, and the two-day game will give us a clearer picture of where he is in terms of his match readiness."

Rabada's like-for-like replacement would be Nortjé. However, his final first-class match was also the last of his 19 Tests. Since then, he has participated in 104 white-ball games of varying levels and formats. Among them are three ODIs and 18 T20Is.

On the batting front, where Marques Ackerman is the only player with no caps, things are much more settled. In his six first-class innings this year, Ackerman has scored three centuries, including a career-best 256 in more than six hours when he was captaining South Africa A against Bangladesh in Pretoria in August.

Dewald Brevis, who was in the squad for South Africa’s most recent Test series, in India in November, but did not play in either match, misses out.

South Africa preliminary Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortjé, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne.