Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has drafted Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer into South Africa’s team for the second Test against West Indies.
South Africa will also include all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and in-form batsman Ryan Rickelton in their starting eleven at the Wanderers on Wednesday as they look to build on their 87-run victory in the first Test at Centurion.
Injured quick bowler Anrich Nortje is replaced by spinning all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy, batsman Keegan Petersen, and quick bowler Marco Jansen.
It is uncommon for South African teams to field two spinners at the Wanderers. Both left-arm spinner Maharaj, 33, and off-spinner Harmer, 34, return after playing together in January’s Sydney Test against Australia.
Conrad stated that the selection of two spinners was based on the Wanderers pitch’s tendency to offer spin over the past year, and that left-arm quick Jansen “deserves a break.”
The pace attack of Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee will receive support from Mulder, a medium-pace all-rounder.
Rickelton, a wicketkeeper-batsman who made his best score of 42 against Bangladesh in Gqeberha in his three Tests last year, replaces Petersen at number five.
However, Heinrich Klaasen will retain his position as wicketkeeper.
Conrad remarked that every member of the 15-man roster “has an opportunity to play.”
Conrad also pleaded for more Test cricket for South Africa and the West Indies, citing the illustrious histories of both teams at the highest level.
“If there is a lack of Test cricket, interest could start to wane,” he said.
“We don’t play a lot of Test cricket so we’ve got to find novel ways of finding out about these guys,” he said.
Conrad stated that he would like to have a settled Test squad by the time India arrives in December for South Africa’s next Test series.
Conrad responded that he hoped to take a South Africa A team on tour, which would include some of the younger members of the current Test squad, given the lack of Test matches.
South Africa full squad:
Temba Bavuma (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee
Photo by Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
