South Africa will head to Harare without their World Test Championship-winning captain after Temba Bavuma failed to shake off the hamstring strain picked up during last week’s final against Australia. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been asked to stand in for the two-match series that begins next Saturday.
Team doctor Shuaib Manjra confirmed on Friday that Bavuma “has not recovered as quickly as hoped”. Further scans have been booked, but medical staff are already resigned to a short spell on the sidelines. It is Bavuma’s third hamstring setback in under two years, following similar issues at the 2023 ODI World Cup and during the Boxing Day Test later that summer. The right-hander also continues to manage a troublesome left elbow, usually taped heavily.
The injury struck on the third morning of the WTC final. Bavuma was on six when he pulled up while turning for a second run. He received treatment but batted on, and with Aiden Markram agreeing to “downscale the tempo of his running between the wickets”, the skipper nursed himself to a gritty 66. South Africa sealed the title by five wickets, prompting Bavuma to declare: “We’ve wiped all doubts with the way that we’ve played.”
Why rest rather than risk? Selectors believe the tight winter schedule leaves little margin for half-fit players. After Zimbabwe, South Africa play ODIs against Australia in August and England in September. The next WTC cycle starts at home to Pakistan in October before a tour of India in November. No home Tests are scheduled until October 2026, when Australia visit, so management are keen to keep key personnel fresh.
Squad make-up
Five uncapped players feature in a 15-man party as several senior names, notably Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, have been given a breather. Lungi Ngidi, returning from his own niggles, is available only for the second Test. Former Under-19 captain Dewald Brevis and left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka headline the newcomers, while Kyle Verreynne reclaims the gloves.
South Africa squad: Keshav Maharaj (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi (second Test only), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.
Analysis
Maharaj is an uncomplicated choice. The 35-year-old led admirably during the 2023 home summer and, crucially, commands a place even on flat Zimbabwean surfaces. His tactical conservatism is well known, yet Zimbabwean conditions often reward old-fashioned patience, and with a relatively green attack around him, that steadiness could prove handy.
The batting, in contrast, is light on proven experience. Much will rest on de Zorzi and Hamza at the top, while eyes will inevitably track Brevis’s first brush with Test cricket. For Zimbabwe, the obvious tactic is to extend Maharaj’s workload and probe a middle order that has rarely been exposed without Bavuma’s adhesive presence.
Bavuma, 34 next week, has spoken of playing on until the 2027 home ODI World Cup “fitness permitting”. That remains feasible, but for now the priority is rehab rather than long-term legacy.
