JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Wednesday unveiled a strong squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on December 26.
South Africa has included two uncapped players — all-rounder Corbin Bosch alongside teenage pacer Kwena Maphaka, who is part of the white-ball squad against Pakistan.
Bosch, the son of former international cricketer Tertius Bosch, has received his first call-up to represent his country at the international level. He has scored 1295 runs at an average of 40.46 and taken 72 wickets across 34 first-class matches.
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Meanwhile, Maphaka was initially called up to the Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka as a backup for the injured fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, however, he could not get a game.
On the other hand, injured all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and spinner Keshav Maharaj have also been named in the South Africa squad, with the hope of achieving full fitness ahead of the Test series.
Maharaj suffered a groin strain just before the first ODI against Pakistan yesterday. He will undergo a scan later today to assess the severity of the injury.
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Meanwhile, Mulder broke his right middle finger while batting against Sri Lanka in Durban last month and is now in the final phase of his recovery.
The Test series against Pakistan is vital for South Africa as they aim to strengthen their chances for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. Currently, they are sitting at the top of the points table following their clean sweep victory over Sri Lanka.
The two-match Test series between Pakistan and South Africa will kick off in Centurion on December 26, meanwhile, the second Test will start from January 3 in Cape Town.
Squads for South Africa-Pakistan Test series
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk)
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
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