Anrich Nortje has returned to the South Africa squad for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh after recovering from a groin injury. The fast bowler had missed the final match of South Africa's recent World Test Championship series victory over Australia.
South Africa have named a 15-player squad led by captain Temba Bavuma for the two-match assignment. The squad also features the returns of top-order batters Tony de Zorzi, who missed the Australia series with a hamstring injury, and Zubayr Hamza.
Nortje joins a formidable pace attack that includes Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Dane Paterson, Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch. However, fellow fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was unavailable for selection as he continues his rehabilitation from injury.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad emphasised the importance of maintaining the winning momentum that recently propelled his side to the top of the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings. Conrad noted that the traditional pace and bounce of Highveld pitches influenced their heavy selection of seam-bowling options.
Speaking about the upcoming opponents, Conrad said that his side is well aware of the threat posed by Bangladesh and expects their fast bowlers to be effective in local conditions. He added that the return of De Zorzi and the inclusion of Hamza provide valuable depth to the batting order.
South Africa currently sit second in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 71.43, while Bangladesh occupy fifth place with 47.62 percent. The last time the two teams met in South Africa, the hosts secured a comfortable two-nil series victory.
The first Test of the series is scheduled to take place from 15 to 19 November in Johannesburg, followed by the second Test at Centurion from 23 to 27 November. The squad will use the pre-match build-up to assess pitch conditions and finalise their playing eleven.
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