South Africa will be without captain Temba Bavuma for this month’s Test series against Pakistan.
Bavuma has been sidelined by injury. He will likely be replaced in the XI by one of batsmen Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi or Zubayr Hamza.
De Zorzi hit a 177 in Bangladesh last year, while Brevis debuted in Test cricket with a half-century against Zimbabwe earlier this year. Hamza has not played Test cricket since February 2024.
“Dewald will definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin. If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration,” said batsman Aiden Markram, who will captain the XI in Bavuma’s absence.
“Tony played incredibly well in Bangladesh and scored big runs there, where it was also quite challenging. So I don’t think it’s necessarily that Dewald is a dead-given straight swap, but I’m very sure he’ll be in the conversation.”
Pakistan and the Proteas will contest two Tests. The series opener will start in Lahore on Sunday.
Meanwhile, South Africa are waiting on the availability of fast bowler Kwena Maphaka. He sustained a hamstring injury during last week’s 4-Day Domestic Series, division one, fixture between Western Province and the Lions at Newlands in Cape Town.
