South Africa announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming Test series against West Indies which will begin on August 7 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The two-Test series, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, will be the Proteas’ first red-ball tour to the Caribbean since 2021 which they won 2-0.
Temba Bavuma made his return to the Proteas squad after missing the T20 World Cup while left-arm pacer Marco Jensen was left out of the squad.
The Proteas’ red-ball coach, Shukri Conrad, confirmed that Tristan Stubbs will play at No. 3 throughout the series he is one of the best in the world technically.
“Technically Stubbs is one of the best around,” Conrad said at a press conference. “He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order. And I think he has got all the makings of a top-class No. 3 batter.
“He will get a really good run and he is definitely one for the future. Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”
South Africa have eight more Test matches scheduled in the WTC cycle, two in Bangladesh in October and a home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Conrad is hopeful that the Proteas will be able to make their way to the final.
South Africa Test squad
Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne
