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Keshav Maharaj Ruled Out of Pakistan ODIs but Included in South Africa's Test Squad
Keshav Maharaj Ruled Out of Pakistan ODIs but Included in South Africa's Test Squad
South Africa have added two uncapped players for the two-Test series, seam bowlers Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka.
Maharaj had to limp off just before the toss for the first game and was replaced at the last moment by pace-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo in South Africa's XI. Maharaj will return to Durban for rehabilitation and will be reassessed before the first Test against Pakistan.
This injury adds to South Africa's already long list of missing bowlers. The team is without Anrich Nortje (fractured toe), Gerald Coetzee (groin injury), Lungi Ngidi (hip injury), Nandre Burger (lower back), and Wiaan Mulder (broken finger). Recently, Maharaj played a key role in South Africa's victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test in Gqeberha, taking 5 for 76 to help trigger a batting collapse.
In Maharaj's absence, South Africa has Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy as spin-bowling options for the Test series against Pakistan.
Others with an outside chance include batting allrounder Neil Brand, who bowls left-arm spin and toured New Zealand earlier this year; legspinner Shaun von Berg, who debuted on the same tour; and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, although his last first-class match was in 2021.
The first Test of the two-match series starts in Centurion on December 26. South Africa needs just one more win to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final, where they currently hold the top position on the points table.
South Africa's Test squad for the series against Pakistan faces fitness uncertainties regarding key players Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder. Maharaj, recovering from a left adductor strain, will be reassessed ahead of the first Test at Centurion, where spin may be less critical due to the seamer-friendly conditions. Mulder, recovering from a broken finger, is also undergoing scans to confirm his availability.
The squad features left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy as backup for Maharaj and two uncapped seamers, Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka, to bolster the pace attack. Bosch has been in good form domestically and impressed against the England Lions. Injuries to Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams leave South Africa short on bowling options, increasing reliance on Rabada, Jansen, and potentially Mulder if fit.
The team’s preparation includes domestic matches for players not in the ODI squad and practice sessions before the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, a stronghold where South Africa has lost only once in the last decade. The series, including the New Year's Test at Newlands, is crucial for South Africa's chances of securing a spot in the World Test Championship final.
South Africa squad for Tests against Pakistan
David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (wk)
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