Anrich Nortje in line for surprise Test return as South Africa name preliminary squad for Australia series

South Africa name 18-man preliminary squad for Australia Tests

Anrich Nortjé could play a Test for the first time since March 2023 in South Africa’s upcoming series against Australia, while Kagiso Rabada’s involvement remains uncertain.

Both Nortjé and Rabada were named in a preliminary squad of 18 on Monday. The group will gather on 1 October in Durban, where the first Test starts on 9 October.

"We’ll have a couple of training days, a two-day intra-squad match and scenario-based training, which will give us an opportunity to assess the group and conditions before settling on our final 15," Shukri Conrad was quoted as saying in a CSA release.

Bowling depth shaped by injuries

That the finished XI will look different is implied by the make-up of the squad: seven of the 18 — more than a third — are fast bowlers. That’s a consequence of Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka, Ottneil Baartman and Lutho Sipamla all battling hamstring injuries.

Beyond Rabada and Nortjé, the preliminary squad features Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee — whose last Test was in November 2024 — Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder and Dane Paterson.

"Having a larger bowling group gives us the flexibility to cover all bases," Conrad was quoted as saying. "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."

Rabada fitness watch

Rabada would normally be among the first names on Conrad’s XI sheet. This time his place is in doubt.

"We want to give Kagiso 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," Conrad was quoted as saying.

Nortjé would be the best like-for-like replacement for Rabada. But the last of his 19 Tests was also his last first-class match. He has since played 104 white-ball games of various formats and levels, including three ODIs and 18 T20Is.

Batting settled, Ackerman earns call

Matters are much more settled on the batting front, where Marques Ackerman is the only uncapped player included. Ackerman has scored three centuries in his six first-class innings this year, including a career-best 256 in more than six hours while captaining South Africa A against Bangladesh in Pretoria in August.

Dewald Brevis, who was in the squad for South Africa’s most recent Test series in India in November but did not play in either match, misses out.

South Africa preliminary Test squad

Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortjé, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne.