South Africa's Future Stars: Brevis and Pretorius in Test Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

Lhuan-dre Pretorius Headlines South Africa's Uncapped Quintet for Zimbabwe Test Series Teenage sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius leads a bold new-look South Africa Test squad featuring five uncapped players for the upcoming two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo later this month. Joining Pretorius in line for a potential debut are Dewald Brevis, Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf, and Prenelan Subrayen, as coach Shukri Conrad begins building squad depth ahead of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle. The series does not form part of the WTC, offering Conrad the opportunity to experiment and rest key names including Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada. Veteran Dane Paterson is also expected to retire after the WTC final at Lord’s. At just 19, Pretorius has lit up domestic cricket with three centuries in his first five first-class matches, averaging an eye-catching 65.57. His most recent ton came in the red-ball domestic final, capping a meteoric rise. Meanwhile, Brevis – already a household name in white-ball circles – has earned his call-up through sustained red-ball performances. The 2022 Under-19 World Cup’s leading run-scorer amassed 573 runs at 47.75 in the recent domestic season, including two centuries and two fifties. “Dewald deserves a lot of credit for how he has progressed over the past 12 months,” said Conrad. “He’s shown real growth and maturity in the longer format… he’s evolving into a more complete cricketer.” This fresh-faced squad signals a shift in South Africa’s approach, with Zimbabwe seen as a valuable testing ground for emerging talent as the Proteas gear up for a demanding WTC cycle ahead. South Africa Name Fresh-Faced Test Squad for Zimbabwe Series, Led by Teen Sensation Pretorius South Africa’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe features a bold youth injection, with five uncapped players set for potential debuts, including 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius, as head coach Shukri Conrad begins laying the foundation for the next World Test Championship cycle. Joining Pretorius are Dewald Brevis, Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf, and Prenelan Subrayen, all of whom have made compelling cases in domestic cricket. Senokwane finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in South Africa's first-class competition. Subrayen, a spin-bowling allrounder, was second on the wicket charts last season. Yusuf, a right-arm seamer, ended joint-fifth in wickets. “This tour provides the ideal platform to expose them to the demands of Test cricket and see how they respond,” said Conrad. “It's also our first tour to Zimbabwe since 2014, so we're really looking forward to heading over there later this month.” The series also offers Zubayr Hamza a shot at redemption, having last played a Test in 2024. With several senior bowlers sidelined—Gerald Coetzee (groin), Nandre Burger (stress fracture), and Lizaad Williams (knee)—South Africa’s pace attack will be led by Lungi Ngidi and Kwena Maphaka, who debuted earlier this year at Newlands. Conrad provided injury updates and plans for key fast bowlers: “Nandre has been cleared to return via T20s. The plan is to ease him back and build him up to red-ball cricket gradually,” said Conrad. “With Gerald, the focus is on his long-term fitness. We’ve seen encouraging signs in T20s, but we’re prioritising red-ball resilience to reduce his risk of further setbacks.” The two Tests in Bulawayo, while outside the World Test Championship, serve as a vital proving ground for this next generation as South Africa prepares for a packed 2025–27 cycle. South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.