Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder Selected for South Africa's Test Squad Against Pakistan Despite Injuries
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New Delhi, Dec 18 (NationPress) Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder have been named in South Africa’s Test squad for the forthcoming series against Pakistan, set to begin on December 26 in Centurion, despite their ongoing injury concerns.
Maharaj suffered an acute groin strain on Tuesday during warm-ups ahead of the first ODI against Pakistan at Boland Park in Paarl. According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), Maharaj will undergo a scan on Wednesday to assess the seriousness of the injury.
Mulder has been included following the completion of the final phase of his recovery from a fractured right middle finger, which sidelined him during the second Test against Sri Lanka. Should Mulder be chosen for the first Test, CSA indicated that batter Matthew Breetzke would be released from the squad.
Seamer Corbin Bosch, 30, has received his first call-up to the Test side. Bosch has shown impressive form in first-class cricket, accumulating a total of 72 wickets at an average of 36.75 and an economy rate of 3.24 in 34 matches.
Additionally, he boasts a batting average above 40, highlighting his all-round skills. Bosch was recently part of the SA Invitational XI that triumphed over the England Lions in Cape Town, where he delivered figures of 1-21. Joining him in the squad is uncapped seamer Kwena Maphaka, who participated in the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka.
"In terms of our own squad, we have added Corbin to the mix. His all-round capabilities with both bat and ball add depth, and his pace brings an extra edge to our attack. We’re enthusiastic about his transition to Test cricket," said head coach Shukri Conrad.
"Dane Paterson made a strong impression against Sri Lanka and we are eager to see him again. Overall, our pace attack is quite formidable. We are closely monitoring Kesh (Keshav Maharaj) and hope his injury is not serious," Conrad added.
Following their encounter with Pakistan at SuperSport Park in the Boxing Day Test, South Africa will face them again in the New Year’s Test at Cape Town. South Africa requires just one more victory to secure their spot in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, which they currently lead.
"We enter this series with a clear focus, aiming for a position in the World Test Championship Final, which is our ultimate goal. We’ve assembled a squad that maximizes our chances of achieving that," Conrad stated.
"This is an exciting time for South African cricket, and we are especially looking forward to this contest against Pakistan. They consistently present a formidable challenge with their talented fast bowlers, and I expect this encounter to be no different," Conrad concluded.
South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk)
