Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been included in the squad, but Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman are all unavailable.
Marques Ackerman celebrates a half-century for the Dolphins during a recent first-class domestic match. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
Uncapped batter Marques Ackerman has been called up to an 18-man preliminary Proteas squad for the first of three Tests to be played against Australia next month.
Ackermann earned his maiden Test call-up following an impressive run of form for South Africa A, with the 30-year-old player having amassed more than 1,000 runs in his last 10 red-ball appearances for the national A side at an average of 82.92, including four hundreds and a career-best 256 against Bangladesh A in August.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was also included in the provisional squad as he continued his recovery from a right hamstring injury, though fellow seamers Ottneil Baartman, Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi were not considered for selection as they continued their rehabilitation from their respective hamstring injuries.
With Baartman, Maphaka and Ngidi all unavailable, fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje and Dane Paterson were all recalled to the Test setup.
Testing combinations
Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad said the preliminary squad would get together on Thursday, eight days before the start of the first Test in Durban on 9 October.
The camp would include a two-day intra-squad match and scenario-based training, after which the final squad of 15 players would be announced for the series opener.
“Having a larger bowling group gives us the flexibility to cover all bases. We have different options across the squad and the next week will give us an opportunity to determine which combinations are best suited to the conditions,” Conrad said.
“We also want to give Kagiso (Rabada) 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.
“On the batting front, we’ve stuck with our core group. It’s great to have Marques in the squad. The way he has led the SA A side, both as captain and through his performances with the bat, has earned him this opportunity. We’re looking forward to having him in the Test environment.”
Preliminary Proteas Test squad
Temba Bavuma (captain), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne
