South Africa’s selection panel has named a 15-player squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The first Test is scheduled at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from November 15 to 19, 2026, while the second follows at SuperSport Park in Centurion from November 23 to 27, 2026. The squad will assemble in Johannesburg on November 11.
Temba Bavuma continues as captain of a Proteas side that currently holds the number one ranking in Test cricket, having recently led South Africa to a 2-1 series victory over Australia. Two notable returns feature in the squad: Tony de Zorzi, who missed the Australia series due to a hamstring injury, is back in the setup, and Anrich Nortje has recovered from a groin injury that kept him sidelined for two weeks. Lungi Ngidi has not been considered as he continues his rehabilitation.
The last time these two sides met on South African soil, in 2022, the Proteas secured a 2-0 series win. Head Coach Shukri Conrad addressed the squad selection and the upcoming assignment.
Which players return to the squad and who misses out?
Tony de Zorzi’s return is one of the more prominent selection developments in this squad. The YesPlay Cobras batter was ruled out of the Test series against Australia while recovering from a hamstring injury and now comes back into the 15. Alongside him, Anrich Nortje of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins has been included after overcoming a groin injury that had kept him out for two weeks.
Lungi Ngidi, however, remains unavailable. The selectors did not consider him for this series as he continues his rehabilitation programme. Zubayr Hamza of the Lions has also been included, adding further depth to the top order.
“Coming off a hard fought series against Australia, our focus will be on carrying that momentum into the Bangladesh series, which is our next big assignment of the summer. Traditionally, surfaces on the Highveld favours pace and bounce, although we have seen the Wanderers offer some assistance to spin in recent times. So with that in mind, there will be greater focus on our seam-bowling options,” said South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad as quoted by Cricket South Africa.
“We know the threat Bangladesh pose and we expect their quicks to be very effective in Highveld conditions. In terms of our batting options, it’s good to welcome Tony back following his recovery from injury, while Zubayr’s inclusion gives us further depth to our top order. The build-up to the first Test will give us the opportunity to assess our options and settle on the best combination for the conditions,” he added.
What does the pace attack look like for the Highveld Tests?
South Africa’s seam-bowling resources are well stocked for conditions that traditionally assist pace and bounce. Kagiso Rabada of the DP World Lions and Dane Paterson of the YesPlay Cobras are among the specialist pace options, with Nortje’s return from the Hollywoodbets Dolphins adding further firepower to that group.
The squad also carries considerable all-round depth in the seam department. Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen, both from the Momentum Multiply Titans, are included alongside Wiaan Mulder of the DP World Lions. This combination of specialist pacers and seam-bowling all-rounders gives the Proteas multiple options as they assess conditions at the Wanderers and SuperSport Park ahead of the first Test on November 15.
South Africa full squad for the Test series against Bangladesh
Temba Bavuma (captain), Marques Ackerman, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton.
