Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SOUTH Africa stand-in Test captain Keshav Maharaj has announced his team’s playing XI for their first Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Saturday.
Three players are set to make their Test debuts for the youthful Proteas side. The three debutants are teenager batter, Lhuan-dre Pretorious, Codi Yusuf and Dewald Brevis.
Yusuf comes in as an extra seamer for the Proteas.
Mathew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, and Kwena Maphaka, who have all played one Test apiece for the World Test Championship (WTC) champions are also part of the inexperienced South Africa side.
Maharaj, captaining the Test side for the first time, is the most experienced player on the team with 58 caps to his name. The skipper said they picked the team based on the conditions at Queens Sports Club.
Tony De Zorzi will open the batting with Breetzke while Wiaan Mulder takes up the number three spot. David Beddingham, Pretorious, Brevis, Verreynne make up the middle order.
“The emphasis is to make sure that we execute our details very well, we need to focus on that and whatever is thrown at us we will take it in stride.
We had a look at the conditions and we felt like going with an extra seamer, it doesn’t feel like it would turn that much for this Test,” said Maharaj.
The match starts at 10am.
South Africa XI for Zimbabwe Test:
Mathew Breetzke, Tony De Zozi, Wiaan Mulder, David Beddingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorious, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne, Corbin Bosch, Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka.
